Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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This matter derives from a large-scale campaign organised in County Meath to protect services at Navan hospital, which is greatly valued by people in the county. In following up promises made by Fine Gael in particular in advance of the general election, the campaign group permitted the Minister for Health a reasonable period to master his brief, but I understand he has not yet issued a response to the four requests that have been made to meet him. I understand contact was made this morning with a view to organising a meeting between HSE officials and the Save Navan Hospital committee but this was not considered acceptable. During the last Government it was easy to arrange meetings between local groups and Ministers, who always made themselves available along with their senior civil servants. The Save Navan Hospital committee and representatives of the community held a useful meeting with the then Minister, Mary Harney, and senior officials from the HSE.

I am disappointed the Minister for Health is not here because I saw him earlier in the House. I am sure he is busy, however, and I hope the Minister for Education and Skills will arrange on his behalf for the local community to meet him in regard to the restoration of elective surgery, which was promised by Fine Gael before the election. Fine Gael also pledged that the new regional hospital for the north east would be constructed in Navan within the first five years of that party being in power. That was one of many election promises which were made on health matters. I referred earlier to the inappropriateness of making promises that cannot be kept, particularly in respect of sick and vulnerable people. I ask the Government to keep the promises it made or else to explain why they will not be kept. One explanation we will not accept is that circumstances are worse than the Government thought they would be. The people know what money is available and tax receipts are above target currently. None of those excuses will wash. We want straightforward answers. Communities in County Meath seek a meeting with the Minister and look to the Government to commit to implementing the promises it made. The Government should be held to account on this because it made promises subsequent to the EU-IMF arrangements and in full knowledge of the state of the public finances.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, and I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. Navan hospital continues to function as an acute general hospital. It provides inpatient services such as general acute medical and elective orthopaedic, including complex joint replacement surgery and it has an intensive care, cardiac care and high dependency units. Day services include medical and surgical, elective endoscopy and elective orthopaedic. The hospital has a 24-hour accident and emergency department, a 12-hour medical assessment unit and an outpatient department incorporating orthopaedic, gynaecology, ophthalmology and paediatric clinics. Other services include day medical cardiology, day diabetic, radiology, laboratory, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services.

Navan hospital is an integral part of the Louth-Meath hospital group and the Minister is determined that it will continue to play an important role in the delivery of clinical services in the Louth-Meath area and to patients in other parts of the north east. To fully consider the issues involved, the Minister will take account of the current organisation of acute services in the region and the important clinical programmes being developed by the HSE. He acknowledges the need for communication with the local community at this time and understands that, if required, HSE staff will be available to meet community representatives, as he will himself, should that prove necessary.

The Minister is committed to ensuring acute hospital services at national, regional and local level are provided in a clinically appropriate and efficient manner. In particular, he wants to ensure that as many services as possible can be provided safely in smaller, local hospitals. There is need to ensure the most appropriate organisation of acute services in each region. The Minister believes that the clinical programmes being developed by the HSE are vital in this regard. These inter-related programmes aim to improve service quality, effectiveness and patient access and to ensure patient care is provided in the service setting most appropriate to individual needs.

The Minister has made it clear that he expects to be briefed by the HSE on proposals to withdraw services from individual hospitals. He has also made it clear that patient safety must be the overriding priority. He wants patients to be treated at the lowest level of complexity that is as safe, timely, efficient and as near to home as possible. These factors will inform future decisions on the provision of acute hospital services.

Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister but I am disappointed that the Minister for Health has not committed to meeting the people of County Meath. This is the sixth time he has been asked. He has in the past committed to doing so but he has not made a commitment in this reply. While I regarded Ms Mary Harney as an excellent Minister for Health and Children, she could not have put this better herself. This reply is exactly what she would have said to the House. There have been no changes and the current policy will continue. All of the pre-election pledges have been discarded in the dustbin. This is not acceptable.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I will convey the Senator's comments to the Minister so that he will be aware of them.

Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister.