Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I was also asked about ambulance and maternity services, etc. I understand that Senators are naturally concerned about their individual localities. We are too often obsessed with where things happen rather than what happens. Patient safety has to be paramount. It is a fact that it is not safe for a person who goes to an accident and emergency department at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. to be seen by a junior doctor. When people talk about the "golden hour", they are not talking about the time within which one should be brought to a place called hospital but about the need to access expertise as quickly as possible. If one has a stroke, one needs to be given certain medication within three hours.