Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

D'ardaigh mé ceist inné maidir le cúrsaí portaigh i gConamara. I raised an issue with the Leader about a deadline pending on Friday. It concerns the blanket bog complex in Connemara. Local turf cutters who want to appeal the designations being imposed are facing a deadline of 28 October. We have asked for an extension. I do not know if the Leader was in a position to contact the Minister's office to ask for that extension but I would be grateful if he would do that today or indicate to me later if that is amenable. I do not believe it is a huge issue for them and if they could do it, it would give people more time to get their applications ready.

I want to note my concern about the teachers' strike that started today and what would appear to be a lack of engagement and a plan in terms of what will happen after the mid-term break. It is incumbent on all sides to get around the table and try to solve this dispute in as amicable a way as possible. If this Seanad is needed to have a debate on that matter, I would not be opposed to it sitting next week to debate it because it is a very serious issue affecting schools across the country.

I have raised previously the issue of hospital services in Galway, particularly those in University Hospital Galway, which is overcrowded. It has major issues in the accident and emergency department, as has been seen. The then Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, and the Taoiseach have visited the hospital. Everybody is telling us it is a basket case and that something needs to be done, but nothing appears to be happening. Discussions have started. Senior clinicians have said we need to consider building a new purpose-built hospital, possibly on the grounds of Merlin Park hospital, in Galway. I would like to know whether the Minister for Health has plans to even consider that. Is anybody in the Department looking at that as an option? I am not saying it should come out and say it will build a new hospital but some form of a feasibility study should be done because by its location, the hospital adds to the traffic chaos in the city. There are very long waiting lists in outpatient and inpatient clinics. Many people cannot access step-down facilities to take pressure off the hospital. I appreciate that primary care centres need to be rolled out and fully staffed to take pressure off the hospital, but even after that happens there are senior clinicians within the Saolta hospital group who state there will be a need for a new hospital. That the Department of Health is not even looking at this issue is not acceptable and I ask the Leader to ask the Minister to come into the House to debate it.