Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

A number of months ago I raised the matter of Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel, on which €12.5 million was spent in a Commencement debate. Following the improvement works, rooms and beds at the hospital were lying vacant. I commend the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, on visiting the hospital in Cashel yesterday, as well as the hospital in Clonmel. The Minister saw for himself the problems on the ground. I also commend him on his comments on local radio this morning when he said he will make the decisions on how the services will be used. It is quite obvious that the vacant beds in Cashel need to be used for step-down purposes and the Minister has indicated this will be the case. Consequently, unlike the last speaker who was very frustrated - as am I on certain issues - I am pleased to say that on this issue, the Minister has closed the circle. He has visited Tipperary and has given a commitment. He also gave a commitment with regard to the capital budget for 2017. I have now said all of the nice things I am going to say today.

The second issue I want to raise relates to Iarnród Éireann, which yesterday leaked a report on the railway lines across the country. On the front of The Irish Timesyesterday, my home town of Carrick-on-Suir was billed as the town that used rail services the least. The report did not dig down deep enough to tell the people who read the newspaper, many of whom contacted me yesterday, that if one goes to the railway station in Carrick-on-Suir, it is quite possible the train one is waiting for will not turn up. It is also quite possible that if one is on a train that should stop at Carrick-on-Suir, it will not do so. Furthermore, it is quite possible that if one goes to Waterford to get the train to Carrick-on-Suir, one will be told one must get a bus and that there is no train running.