Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Kelly on the new regulations that took effect last Monday. The implications of the regulations go far beyond the transportation of fodder around the country. It also includes the live export trade in our part of the country, where 40% of the weanlings are produced. The higher transporters for cattle exports are now going to be affected.

I would like to propose an amendment to the Order of Business so that the Minister for Health and Children can come to the House today to discuss the letter which has been written by the CEOs of the four hospitals in Dublin, highlighting their grave concern about the fact that they are at breaking point due to the €206 million worth of cuts that they have had to sustain and due to the fact that there are more planned. They made reference to cancer patients not being in a position to get adequate care due to backlogs. They also made reference to the fact that the situation is seriously threatening the quality and safety of patient services. Their view is that lives will be lost because of the blunt instrument of cutting across the board without what they describe as a proper understanding of the dynamic of hospital services and their functions. It is of vital importance that we begin to look at this because lives will be lost. That is not coming from a political hack on this side of the House but from the people who know, namely, the CEOs of the four best known hospitals in our capital city. I can assure the House that the situation is the same in hospitals in Sligo, Letterkenny and elsewhere throughout the country.

In such a debate, we can also ask the Minister to address the situation regarding the children's hospital, where I am reliably informed off the record that the committee involved has been instructed to spend no more money. I want an answer to the question as to whether that is the case and whether that project is effectively on hold, something the rumour machine is clearly indicating.