Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If one looks at the Minister of State's speech, one will see a reference to St. Senan's Hospital in Wexford. This hospital was closed and we lost all of the beds. I was in the same position as Senator Mullins is in today in respect of this type of thing. That happened a number of years ago. St. Senan's Hospital is now closed and we now have a service in County Wexford that is far superior to anything that was available in St. Senan's. The reason I have spoken today is because there are not that many success stories within the HSE. A Vision for Change is one of them. The criticisms of the Minister of State and the Government are fair and valid in that it has not been done quickly enough. If it can be done more quickly, it should be done more quickly.

I attended public meetings attended by 500, 600 and 700 people. What was going to happen to St. Senan's was terrible. All the Members of the Oireachtas in County Wexford met and agreed that we would push through A Vision for Change. If what is available in County Wexford is available in the areas about which we are talking - Roscommon and Galway - they will have a far superior service. There is no comparison. I can say from experience that the staff, clients and everybody involved will tell one that. It is easy to generate fear and to be afraid. I heard Senator MacSharry speak. He is a complete gombeen man if ever I heard one in respect of what he went on with earlier today. It is the exacerbation of fear-----