Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is very important. The Bill relates to the structure of the HSE and its various directorates. The question of the vacant paediatric cystic fibrosis post for physiotherapy in Temple Street Children's University Hospital, which looks after 94 children, is crucial. This Bill formally provides that the HSE is officially and under law required to report to the Minister, and I am asking the Minister to intervene in this matter. This post has been vacant for four weeks but it was flagged about six months ago that this retirement would take place. However, the human resources, HR, section in the HSE will not respond to the parents of these 94 children. The Minister, being a medical doctor, will understand the importance of physiotherapy for children with cystic fibrosis. I urge the Minister to check with the HSE as to when it will give its sanction to filling that post. I hope Senator Gilroy considers this an important enough issue to raise in the House.

With regard to our budgets and how the HSE manages its budget, we saw the figures last week which show that the overruns continue. We were given assurances by the Minister and the Government that front-line services would not be affected. However, I can offer an example from our constituency and north Leinster where there have been cuts to the HSE paramedic ambulance service in the north Leinster area and specifically in Swords and north County Dublin. Every Tuesday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., there is no ambulance cover for 250,000 people. Last Tuesday they were covered by Loughlinstown hospital, but on the weekend before last there was no HSE ambulance on the Friday and Saturday nights in the north County Dublin area because the HSE would not cover sick leave and would not put in non-rostered staff. The Minister is aware of this issue. He campaigned in the previous election on the platform that Dublin North needs a Minister. Perhaps we did, but I believe we still do. I ask the Minister to deal with this issue as well. This is about governance of the HSE and examples of the front-line services which have been affected, such as the cystic fibrosis post in Temple Street Children's University Hospital and the north-east and north Leinster region having to wonder when it will have cardiac and advanced paramedic ambulances available to it.

Last week Loughlinstown hospital was covering Swords, but last weekend there was no ambulance in the north-east area. Why do the people of our area not deserve 24 hour, seven day per week advanced paramedic cover when other areas of the country do? This is about management and I wonder how this new structure of governance will make that change. The Minister might explain with regard to the different directorates being set up - I agree with the structure - how regularly they will report to him. How hands-on will the Minister be? When there are further cuts, will it be the case that the Minister will send out some poor official in the HSE to make the announcements for him? I believe there is an opportunity here for the Minister. It is not up to him to take my advice - I am sure he would not - but people realise that he has a difficult job and that the budget has diminished. However, if the Minister told people that he would keep his promise of protecting the front-line services, people would have more respect for his and the Department's approach. Consider the cut in home care hours and the welcome U-turn the Minister made regarding the personal assistants, which other Members have mentioned today. We must be much clearer about these matters.

If the Minister is to save ¤750 million next year, I believe a proper public debate must take place on how he will achieve that. On a personal level, I wish the Minister well in that endeavour. This is an area that is close to the Minister's heart and he has experience in it. However, many mistakes have been made over recent months in the management of the Department and the HSE. Is the Minister recommitting now to ensuring front-line services will not be affected? Is he recommitting to building a new hospital in the north east? Is he recommitting to ensuring the ambulance cover in the north Leinster area, lest I be accused of being parochial on this, will be reinstated? Will he give a commitment to ensuring the cystic fibrosis post in Temple Street Children's University Hospital is filled without further delay? I await with interest the Minister's responses to those questions.