Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, Donegal County Council unanimously voted no confidence in the Health Service Executive, HSE. It was an unprecedented move by the councillors and it springs from their total frustration and anger at the lack of availability of health services and the ongoing overcrowding at Letterkenny University Hospital. We heard this morning from Members in various parts of the country about similar frustrations elsewhere. The councillors in Donegal expressed their frustration about the difficulty the people they represent have in accessing hospital care. It is a very sad day that it has come to this. It is a wake-up call for us all. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health to the House to discuss the issue. I compliment and commend all the members of Donegal County Council on taking this initiative. I understand their motion has been circulated to other local authorities around the country. We talk about such issues ad nauseamhere week after week but something needs to happen. People are afraid and it has got to the stage now where people are even afraid of going into hospital because they do not know what will happen when they go through the doors.My heart goes out to the staff who have to work under these conditions. I again ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Health to come before the House so we can have a discussion on what we can do to try to address this very serious situation for once and for all .