John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Cummins for providing me with speaking time. As he stated, many of the patients in St. Brigid's ward are from south County Kilkenny where I am from myself. The patients and their families are very upset at the prospect of the closure of the ward. I raised a matter on the Adjournment ten days ago on the closure of a nursing facility in Carlow, namely, Bethany House. The two situations seem to be remarkably similar. In fact, they are almost identical.

The HSE is discussing closing St. Brigid's ward before new beds have been provided. This is unacceptable. To be badgering, hounding and harassing elderly people in the twilight years of their lives in such a fashion is disgraceful to be perfectly honest. The HSE has become a monster. It does not seem to be answerable to public representatives or to any democratic influence. Sooner rather than later we, as an Oireachtas, will have to do something to take the situation in hand. The proposed closure of St. Brigid's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital and Bethany House, which are in my area, are two instances where people will take the situation into their own hands. We cannot have this type of dictatorship over very vulnerable people.

The people of Ireland have a very particular attachment to the place they call home. Let us be honest, St. Brigid's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital in Waterford is home to the people who reside there. It is not good enough for the HSE to suggest it will close it down and state that within 18 months it will build a new 50 bed facility. This is completely unacceptable. I call on the Minister of State and the Minister for Health and Children to intervene and ensure this ward is not closed.

I received many phone calls from constituents about the comments Professor Drumm made on my local radio station calling this institution a workhouse. It is a fantastic facility that many people in Waterford and south Kilkenny have used over the years and where their loved ones have been looked after fantastically well in the final years of their lives. For them to be so abused by the man who is supposedly the head of the HSE is an absolutely shock. I hope that in his comments the Minister of State will have good news on this issue for us.