Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

This matter derives from a large-scale campaign organised in County Meath to protect services at Navan hospital, which is greatly valued by people in the county. In following up promises made by Fine Gael in particular in advance of the general election, the campaign group permitted the Minister for Health a reasonable period to master his brief, but I understand he has not yet issued a response to the four requests that have been made to meet him. I understand contact was made this morning with a view to organising a meeting between HSE officials and the Save Navan Hospital committee but this was not considered acceptable. During the last Government it was easy to arrange meetings between local groups and Ministers, who always made themselves available along with their senior civil servants. The Save Navan Hospital committee and representatives of the community held a useful meeting with the then Minister, Mary Harney, and senior officials from the HSE.

I am disappointed the Minister for Health is not here because I saw him earlier in the House. I am sure he is busy, however, and I hope the Minister for Education and Skills will arrange on his behalf for the local community to meet him in regard to the restoration of elective surgery, which was promised by Fine Gael before the election. Fine Gael also pledged that the new regional hospital for the north east would be constructed in Navan within the first five years of that party being in power. That was one of many election promises which were made on health matters. I referred earlier to the inappropriateness of making promises that cannot be kept, particularly in respect of sick and vulnerable people. I ask the Government to keep the promises it made or else to explain why they will not be kept. One explanation we will not accept is that circumstances are worse than the Government thought they would be. The people know what money is available and tax receipts are above target currently. None of those excuses will wash. We want straightforward answers. Communities in County Meath seek a meeting with the Minister and look to the Government to commit to implementing the promises it made. The Government should be held to account on this because it made promises subsequent to the EU-IMF arrangements and in full knowledge of the state of the public finances.