Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire. I and my colleagues in Sinn Féin are acutely aware of the totally unacceptable situation regarding transplant patients in general and, in particular, the challenges now facing those awaiting pancreas transplant. My Dáil colleague, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, has been in touch with the Minister, with experts in the field and with those who have received transplants. While he has received a response from the Minister that suggests everything is being looked after, we fear the reality is quite different.

While we agree with the urgency with which the post must be filled, we cannot agree to making an exception as regards pay for this post. Certainly, this post must be filled, but, as suggested by recent OECD figures that suggested Ireland has among the best-paid consultants in the world, pay is not the only consideration. Pressure on staff and poor systems are listed highly among the reasons staff leave these shores. We note that 200 to 300 new medical consultants are required to fill existing vacancies and those that will arise over the next 12 months. We currently have 2,713 consultants. The Hanly report of 2003 recommended that by 2012 there should be 3,600 consultants. It is only by ensuring we have adequate numbers of staff and suitable systems in place that staff will want to apply for posts.

I am concerned that nursing staff in St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin 4, as good as they might be, might not have the expertise or the capacity to deal with such cases. The issue of seriously immuno-suppressed patients being advised to attend emergency departments is also concerning. Eight patients are currently on the active waiting list. Five are awaiting a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant and three are awaiting a pancreas-only transplant. Therefore, we cannot support this motion as it is, but we ask the Minister to address the staffing in general, to ensure a safe environment is guaranteed for those who have had transplant, and to guarantee that those awaiting surgery will have it performed in as short a timeframe as possible.