Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Conway-Walsh on hospital staff. We need to look at other ways of addressing the issue. Sometimes it is not about throwing money at a problem - it is about pooling resources. Everybody knows the good news story about the emergency department at Roscommon County Hospital, which is part of the Saolta group. Senator James Reilly was probably one of the best health Ministers this country has had. He had a very difficult time when there was no money but he got all the various hospitals to come together. Roscommon County Hospital now works with University Hospital Galway and the hospitals in Castlebar, Sligo Ballinasloe and Letterkenny. In the past week there has been a new blood science project and a new laboratory in the hospital, where patients get results much more quickly because of the hospitals working together. A radiographer won a prize in the past two or three weeks in Roscommon County Hospital and, in a survey, 92% of people thought the hospital was either good or very good. However, we do not hear that.

The results are down to the staff and everyone else working together. In the past few years, all the major parties have come together to work on the ten-year plan for health. I hope health will not be a political football, which it once was. There were people who had nothing to do with health but shouted and roared about it but they are missing now. When people work together we get a good result. The only problem in Roscommon County Hospital now is that it is so busy there is not enough car parking. It will be addressed but it is a serious problem. People who were giving out about other things five years ago are now giving out about car parking.