Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

In a city the size of Waterford, we only have 72 long-stay beds for the elderly. This covers south Kilkenny and part of south Tipperary. There is a proposal, as has been stated, to take 19 beds and close St. Brigid's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital, which is ludicrous. There are proposals for a 50-bed unit to be built on the site. This has been a priority for the past ten years, and the HSE is telling us now it will have it built by next year, but it still does not know where the site is. It is ridiculous. The HSE is saying the closure is for health and safety reasons, but it is really a cost-cutting exercise. There is no question about it. In addition to the 19 beds in St. Patrick's Hospital, 20 are going in St. Otteran's Hospital in Waterford and 30 in Waterford Regional Hospital. Thus, the cuts are not confined to the geriatric hospital in St. Patrick's. Senators on the Government side should look at the service plans the HSE is introducing in each of their constituencies. The measures are even more draconian than those proposed in the Hanly report.

We on this side of the House are getting fed up listening to lectures about what we should be doing and how responsible we should be to help the economy. We have made concrete proposals, not only over the past 12 months but over the past seven years, that have not been listened to and have been scoffed at by the other side of the House.