Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)
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I have sought a number of times to have this matter discussed on the Adjournment. I am glad I will today, the last sitting day of the Seanad this session, receive a response from the Department and the Minister's office on the matter.

Last week, the people of Donegal heard on a local radio station that Letterkenny General Hospital, owing to budgetary constraints, is to close a 20-bed ward, and its day services unit for most or all of the month of August. Just over a year ago, at the end of March last year, the former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, visited Letterkenny General Hospital amidst much glitter and fanfare to announce the opening of a new 30-bed short-stay ward at the hospital. The former Taoiseach stated at that time that this was a major step forward for the hospital, which it was. Prior to the putting in place of those additional beds, Letterkenny General Hospital had more patients on trolleys than any other hospital outside Dublin. It was a major step forward but the decision by the manager of the hospital, taken on foot of budgetary constraints imposed by the Departments of Health and Children and Finance, will return the hospital to a situation whereby it will once again have an increased number of patients on trolleys. Also, patients will have to wait longer for treatment owing to the closure of the day services unit.

I do not understand many things this Government does. However, this proposal takes the biscuit. Letterkenny General Hospital has shown efficiency in terms of what it has being done during the past number of years, including a 25% increase in the number of day cases treated and an 11% increase in the number of outpatients treated. The result of management and staff treating patients quickly and more effectively, in a hospital with the longest waiting list in the country, is a decision by the Department to close 20 beds and the day services unit at the hospital because it treated too many people and ran over budget. This does not make sense.

There are sick people in Donegal who need beds and treatment. Letterkenny General Hospital will, as a result of this action, revert to the situation it was in prior to March of last year. Another issue of concern is that of infection control within the hospital. The Minister of State is well aware that additional capacity within a hospital will allow hospital management and staff to deal adequately with infection control. However, taking away these beds will put serious pressure on management and staff to prevent and control infection when it arises. The Minister for Health and Children is well aware of the concerns of people in Donegal on a wide variety of health issues, including the failure to roll out BreastCheck, the fact that there is no centre of excellence in the north west, and the downgrading of Sligo General Hospital. Today we hear from IMPACT that there are to be 250 job losses in hospitals in the west and north west as a result of the Government's penny-pinching and cutbacks.

The Taoiseach and the Minister stated this week that there would not be any cuts in the areas of health and education. This is a joke. The reality in Donegal shows that cutbacks are not planned for the future but are happening now. I ask the Minister of State to take this issue very seriously. This hospital has shown that it works effectively. It treats more patients and, as a result, decreases the number on the waiting list. It suffers as a result of that. The necessary funding should be made available to the hospital to ensure that the 20 beds are not lost in the month of August and that the day service unit can remain open so that those who have eventually been able to see a consultant and who require treatment can avail of it during that period.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir freisin. I propose to take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Mary Harney, the Minister for Health and Children.

The Health Service Executive is obliged to provide services in line with available funding. The service levels for 2008 are set out in the HSE's national service plan. These include national service level targets for acute hospitals of almost 600,000 inpatient discharges, more 580,000 day cases, and more than 2.7 million outpatient attendances. Similarly, each acute hospital has annual service targets that include numbers of inpatients, day cases and outpatients. Letterkenny General Hospital has seen major increases in funding and activity in recent years, with many new services being developed. This year there has been a substantial reduction in waiting lists for surgery, due in particular to the increase in day cases. Activity at the hospital has increased significantly in the past year as new developments have come on stream. Already this year the hospital is ahead of its 2008 service plan targets. The Minister for Health and Children understands from the HSE that there has been a 25% increase in day cases and that the number of outpatients treated has increased by 11%.

The HSE advises that the approved expenditure for Letterkenny General Hospital is approximately €112 million for 2008. The executive has advised that it is taking steps to ensure that the overall level of activity at the hospital in the current year can be funded from within this sum. The Minister understands that the HSE is currently discussing a number of measures with staff in the hospital, including a proposal to attempt to renegotiate contracts with certain suppliers to obtain better value, as well as other measures with regard to activity that it not patient-related. It is also proposed that services in the day service unit be scaled back for several weeks in August. This will not affect oncology and haematology day services and will allow services to be managed more efficiently at a time of reduced activity and at peak holiday time. It may involve closing the day service unit for a week or two in August. The temporary closure of one of the smaller 20-bed wards in the hospital is also proposed, and the staff concerned will be transferred to cover vacancies, maternity leave and sick leave elsewhere in the hospital.

The HSE remains committed to minimising the impact of these measures on patients. It has also given an assurance that emergency and urgent services will not be affected. Accident and emergency, maternity, outpatients, renal dialysis and chemotherapy services will operate as normal.

Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response, which contained nothing new to us. The Minister of State outlined the areas that would not be affected, but the reality is that 20 beds are to be lost from Letterkenny General Hospital and patients who want to avail of treatment as day cases will not be able to do so. The Minister for Health and Children always said that these cutbacks would not affect patient care. The general manager of Letterkenny hospital stated on Highland Radio that one would have to be naive to think these cuts would not affect patient care. Does the Minister of State stand over the fact that patients in Donegal will receive a reduced service? The beds will not be there, which will result in more patients on trolleys, and those who are waiting to be treated as day cases during August will not have that service. It is appalling that the hospital is being punished for being effective and being ahead of its own targets this year.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the number of cases being dealt with in the hospital will show an increase of 25% and the number of outpatients will increase by 11%. However, I will raise the Senator's concern with the Minister.