John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and this opportunity to discuss the health services. During my time in the Seanad we have had several discussions on the difficulties that have arisen in the service across the country. I am glad that Senator O'Malley had a successful visit to St. Vincent's Hospital recently but my record of visits to various hospitals around the country is not as good. As I mentioned in a similar debate before the summer, I had to accompany my father, who is an elderly man, to the Regional Hospital in Waterford. We spent nine hours there. It transpired that he had gallstones but it took nine hours before he got a pain killer. My father is 82 years old. That is my personal experience of what my father went through. I could relate similar stories I have heard from constituents in recent years and that is unacceptable. I wish we all had a service that was available as efficiently as the one apparently available in St. Vincent's Hospital but Senator O'Malley's experience is not reflected in the rest of the country.

I do not agree with Senator O'Malley's argument about people pandering to their local hospitals. Often when one is dealing with matters of health, one is trying to get a person seen as soon as possible. If one lives in a rural area, the local hospital is very important and the confidence that a service will be available should one need it is vitally important. I ask the Minister to outline in her response to the House the current position of the Hanly report.

I have recently been presented with a number of cases in my local area that highlight difficulties with the ambulance service. Difficulties have arisen in both private nursing homes and public services for the elderly in terms of transporting people to hospital for surgery. There appears to be a very significant problem in the south-eastern region, with operations being cancelled because the ambulances and staff are not available. That is nothing short of neglect of the elderly. It is very easy to neglect elderly people because very often they are not in a position to raise their voices. I wish to see significant improvements in that area.

I have also become aware that in the south-eastern region, the surgeon who was dealing with all issues relating to breast surgery retired more than six months ago. He spoke on local radio yesterday and outlined how his former position has not yet been adequately filled. A person has been appointed but is not an expert on mastectomies, lumpectomies and certain other procedures. It is highly regrettable that the former occupant of that position had to go on the public airwaves to express his concerns in this regard. That situation must be remedied as soon as possible.

I echo the sentiments of Senator O'Reilly concerning the provision of dental treatment. There is a significant problem with the provision of services, particularly to young people with serious problems. I was made aware of a case of a child who had two teeth growing down through her palate, who was told by the HSE that she would have to wait for over a year to be seen by the public dentist. That is a disgrace. God knows what long term damage would have been done to that child, had her parents not been able to afford private dental care. I ask the Government, the HSE and the Minister to rectify these problems, and others referred to tonight, as soon as possible.