Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

I have sought a number of times to have this matter discussed on the Adjournment. I am glad I will today, the last sitting day of the Seanad this session, receive a response from the Department and the Minister's office on the matter.

Last week, the people of Donegal heard on a local radio station that Letterkenny General Hospital, owing to budgetary constraints, is to close a 20-bed ward, and its day services unit for most or all of the month of August. Just over a year ago, at the end of March last year, the former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, visited Letterkenny General Hospital amidst much glitter and fanfare to announce the opening of a new 30-bed short-stay ward at the hospital. The former Taoiseach stated at that time that this was a major step forward for the hospital, which it was. Prior to the putting in place of those additional beds, Letterkenny General Hospital had more patients on trolleys than any other hospital outside Dublin. It was a major step forward but the decision by the manager of the hospital, taken on foot of budgetary constraints imposed by the Departments of Health and Children and Finance, will return the hospital to a situation whereby it will once again have an increased number of patients on trolleys. Also, patients will have to wait longer for treatment owing to the closure of the day services unit.

I do not understand many things this Government does. However, this proposal takes the biscuit. Letterkenny General Hospital has shown efficiency in terms of what it has being done during the past number of years, including a 25% increase in the number of day cases treated and an 11% increase in the number of outpatients treated. The result of management and staff treating patients quickly and more effectively, in a hospital with the longest waiting list in the country, is a decision by the Department to close 20 beds and the day services unit at the hospital because it treated too many people and ran over budget. This does not make sense.

There are sick people in Donegal who need beds and treatment. Letterkenny General Hospital will, as a result of this action, revert to the situation it was in prior to March of last year. Another issue of concern is that of infection control within the hospital. The Minister of State is well aware that additional capacity within a hospital will allow hospital management and staff to deal adequately with infection control. However, taking away these beds will put serious pressure on management and staff to prevent and control infection when it arises. The Minister for Health and Children is well aware of the concerns of people in Donegal on a wide variety of health issues, including the failure to roll out BreastCheck, the fact that there is no centre of excellence in the north west, and the downgrading of Sligo General Hospital. Today we hear from IMPACT that there are to be 250 job losses in hospitals in the west and north west as a result of the Government's penny-pinching and cutbacks.

The Taoiseach and the Minister stated this week that there would not be any cuts in the areas of health and education. This is a joke. The reality in Donegal shows that cutbacks are not planned for the future but are happening now. I ask the Minister of State to take this issue very seriously. This hospital has shown that it works effectively. It treats more patients and, as a result, decreases the number on the waiting list. It suffers as a result of that. The necessary funding should be made available to the hospital to ensure that the 20 beds are not lost in the month of August and that the day service unit can remain open so that those who have eventually been able to see a consultant and who require treatment can avail of it during that period.