Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The one line that stands out to me again is that the "interim arrangements will continue until at least 2 July". The interim arrangements to get a contract were meant to be until the end of January; then the end of April and now they are until 2 July. I acknowledge the agreement has to come from the doctors, but that is in conjunction with the HSE. This is a priority for us in Longford. It is not good enough for the constituents in my local area to know this is an interim arrangement. It is the only interim arrangement anywhere in the country. We need a permanent arrangement in place. I ask that this be a priority for the senior staff within the HSE and within the community healthcare organisation, CHO. I also highlight a lack of funding for some of the services on that campus. Some of the queues in Mullingar hospital could be alleviated by upgrading, at least, the X-ray service and giving consideration to what is a successful minor injury clinic, based only two or three miles from Mullingar hospital and yet some people in County Longford are more than an hour away from it. Some consideration should be given to a minor injury clinic based at St. Joseph's hospital. It would cut down on the number of people who are going in to the emergency department in Mullingar hospital.