'Momentum Builds' In 24 Hour A&E Bid

Momentum is building for this Saturday's protest to keep full emergency services at Loughlinstown Hospital.

Richard Boyd Barrett, TD of the People Before Profit Alliance, has said that residents of Dun Laoghaire, Loughlinstown and Shankill along with those in Bray and Wicklow are handing out leaflets and putting up posters to ensure a large turn out at the protest.

There have been several public meetings in Bray and Dun Laoghaire.

All agreed on a campaign that would include petitioning and lobbying local representatives as well as the protest on the 9th.

Loughlinstown Hospital A&E serves 160,000 people in South County Dublin and Wicklow and treated 21,000 patients last year. Without a full A&E service in St Colmcille’s patients will have to go to St. Vincent’s Hospital which is already over subscribed.

The proposal to cut this service is the direct result of the IMF demanding a cut of nearly €1bn to the health budget last year.

Richard Boyd Barrett said: "The response to the announcement to curtail the A&E at Loughlinstown has been met by anger and shock by residents in Dun Laoghaire and Wicklow.

Hundreds of people are now giving out leaflets and we expect the protest on the 9th to be big and to be the beginning of the campaign to keep the services at St Colmcille's."

He continued: “It is utterly unacceptable to shut down the 24 hour emergency service in Loughlinstown Hospital. If there is a serious accident on the N11, the extra distance to St Vincent’s Hospital could mean the difference between life and death. These IMF cuts are going to kill people. It is an absolute outrage that this government is going to continue to shove through the kind of cuts that many hoped we would see the last of when we got rid of Fianna Fail.”

Richard Boyd Barrett TD, is working alongside Bray Cllr John Brady to make sure that the local hospital services are maintained.

(BMcN/KMcA)