Reilly Faces Tough Questions On Cuts

Debate has erupted as more cuts to accident and emergency services in Ireland are to be revealed.

Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before Profit Alliance TD, has called the closures "an absolute disgrace" and referred to the Irish Government as puppets for the Irish Monetary Fund (IMF).

This comes as James Reilly, Minister for Health, is due to answer questions over plans to close a 24 hour A&E at Loughlinstown, in South Dublin.

In a statement today, Mr Boyd Barrett, said that Mr Reilly will be asked to outline his plans for any reduction to the A&E services at St. Columcilles Hospital in Loughlinstown.

In June of this year St Columcille’s was named as one of nine hospitals across the country that would see their 24 hour A&E’s cut to a daytime minor injury service. The hospital served 21,000 patients in its A&E department last year.

Mr Barrett Boyd said: "The decision to reduce the service will ultimately cost lives as patients have to travel further to St Vincent’s or Wexford General". Meanwhile Mr Boyd Barrett has also asked the Minister if an impact assessment has been carried out on St Vincent’s in the event of the downgrading of the A&E at Loughlinstown.

According to Mr Boyd Barrett there were 30 people on trolleys in St Vincents and 22 at Wexford General yesterday.

Protests and public meetings where held in June and July to try and stop cuts and closures. A further demonstration will be held this Saturday.

Protesters will gather at St Anne’s Church in Shankill at 2pm and march to the hospital for a rally which will be addressed by People Before Profit representatives, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and workers from the hospital.

Mr Boyd Barrett said: "Despite what this government says, the closures are not about patient safety. If they cared about patient safety they would be investing in health services rather than cutting the budget.

"The health budget was cut by nearly €1billion last year and will be cut again in December. The only people who benefit are private hospitals and private health insurers."

According to Mr Boyd Barrett privatisation is the agenda of the government and the IMF.

"People have to say enough is enough and take to the streets. The nurses in Limerick should be applauded for taking action over the overcrowding in their hospital. The crisis there is a direct result of down grading of other local A&E’s," he added.

A four-hour work stoppage by nurses at the Emergency Department at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick began at 8.30am.

The nurses are taking the action over what they describe as "gross overcrowding" at the hospital's Emergency Department and the effect it is having on patient safety.

Meanwhile The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has denied any plan to downgrade Portlaoise Hospital.

His denial follows a letter read into the Dáil record by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.

The July 26 document from the HSE came before the Public Accounts Committee.

But Enda Kenny told the Dáil it is simply not being considered by Government.

"There is no capacity in the system to reduce a hospital like this to level two, not is there any intention of so doing," he said.

It is believed that protests against hospital cuts will become common with the Health services facing even more cutbacks in the coming weeks. Figures published last week showed that the Health Service Executive is heading for a €250 million overspend by the end of the year.

(LB/GK)