Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of the second cath lab in Waterford University Hospital. The people of the south east, of which I am one, thought that this issue was enshrined in the programme for Government. The second cath lab was to be delivered. It was a make or break issue for the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, who was negotiating the matter. It was deemed the best deal for Waterford. A review that was to be carried out was seen as a formality. The funding was to be ring-fenced once the review was carried out and completed. In Waterford University Hospital, there is currently an 18-month waiting time for an angiogram. For an inpatient, there is a wait of seven days to have a procedure done. The case was very well made by the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, and a report was to be compiled to prove to the rest of the country that Waterford needed the cath lab.

Difficulties then arose and the flaws were in the carrying out of the report. First, the report was based on a part-time system for a population of 500,000 people and there was a comparison with full-time cath labs across the country. Second, it was projected that the travel time from Waterford to Cork was 90 minutes, which is completely incorrect. If one lives in east Kilkenny and has to go into hospital in Waterford and has to be transferred, it would take at least an hour and 20 minutes to get to Cork. Third, the report was interfered with before it ever started because the HSE took it on itself to provide notes and a report to Mr. Herity, who was carrying out the full report. Where is this service now for the people of the south east? Many people have been involved in this, including the practitioners in the hospital and others. Those people will continue to be involved in it because people are affected by this matter on a daily basis in the constituency of Waterford and the adjoining constituencies, including my own Tipperary. I wish to commend Mr. Willie Doyle, who is leading this campaign. There will be people on the streets if this is not resolved in January. Earlier on, Senator Mac Lochlainn asked that the Minister for Health come to the House. I ask that when the Minister comes to the House, he deals with this matter as well. I would appreciate if the Leader would take this matter up as it is very serious. We have been kept in the dark since the big blow-up in September. That is not good enough. The people of the south east want to know what is going on in respect of this matter.