Fine Gael condemns ‘pre-election lies’ over health service cutbacks

FINE Gael yesterday accused the Government of “pre-election lies” following the introduction of a recruitment freeze on frontline health services.

A private members’ motion will be tabled in the Dáil today proposing that any budgetary adjustments required in the health services should be focused at administration and bureaucracy and not at the frontline.

The party’s health spokesman, Dr James O’Reilly said Health Minister Mary Harney and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had been vehement in their denials that there would be cutbacks to health services prior to the election in May.

“Less than 100 days after their return to government, frontline health services all over the country have deteriorated and the Government’s assurances have been exposed as lies,” he said.

“The Health Minister has refused to accept that patient services will be affected by the cutbacks but who believes her, particularly when her own junior minister expresses concerns?”

When the motion is debated today, Fine Gael is expected to focus on the loss of 30 nurses and four consultants from Sligo General Hospital, the cancellation of dental services for children in Inchicore and Bluebell and the dismantling of key services at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Ennis.

In addition, the immediate closure of breast cancer services at 13 hospitals nationally and the closure of a 24-bed unit for the rehabilitation of elderly patients at Merlin Park Hospital in Galway will be used as examples of health service cutbacks.

Additionally, questions about the disuse of a 17-bed surgical ward at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick and the widespread cancellation of essential suicide prevention training for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training courses will be asked.

“In setting up the HSE, the minister promised it would deliver efficiencies and value for taxpayers’ money, but instead she has allowed bureaucracy to spiral out of control and sanctioned the punishment of patients for HSE overspending,” said Mr O’Reilly.

“Fine Gael believes that if budgetary adjustments are required in the health services they should be targeted at administration and bureaucracy instead of attacking the frontline that delivers patient care.”