Councillors threaten to quit ‘talking shop’ forum
Fine Gael members of the forum are seeking an urgent meeting with Dr Reilly to outline their concerns that the forum in its present format was “just a talking shop” and “a waste of money”.
The latest twist in the saga comes less than two weeks after the Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Tim Lombard (FG), launched a blistering attack on the HSE.
One of his colleagues, Cllr John O’Sullivan has now revealed FG members on the forum — from counties Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Carlow and Kilkenny — are seeking the meeting with the minister.
“The forum has to become answerable and relevant. The forum (officials) has to listen and be answerable to members,” the Courtmacsherry-based councillor said. He echoed the frustration which his mayor had earlier expressed.
Mr Lombard said that HSE officials would provide members with “as little information as possible.” and, further claimed, there was “absolutely no accountability from senior HSE management”.
Mr O’Sullivan said that frustration had reached boiling point and if nothing was done to overhaul the forum then he would resign from it.
“If it is not changed then I will resign and I know of others (FG councillors) who are of the same view. We have no business attending these meetings if we are not getting proper answers. Under its present format all we are doing is costing the taxpayer and the health service money,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
The councillor said he was recently angered when handed three reports on the pensioner population for West Cork by the HSE which contained different figures.
“We have the situation where the HSE announces at a Dáil Public Accounts committee meeting that it is going to close the Emergency Department (ED) at Mallow General Hospital in November and announces that it will instead replace it with a Medical Assessment Unit, but not until next March. You can’t close one without immediately opening the other,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
He said he had already told Mr Reilly “to his face” that the HSE in its present form “has huge credibility issues”.
Kerry-based Sinn Féin Cllr Toireasa Ferris resigned from the HSE forum in 2007 because she claimed it was nothing more than a talking shop.
She said it was good that Fine Gael members were expressing their frustration to Mr Reilly as he was the person who could do something about making the forum more accountable.
However, she added she “was stunned it had taken so long” for them to realise the forum wasn’t working.
“To me, it became apparent in the first few weeks after it was set up that it was nothing more than a talking shop. A number of councillors expressed that opinion to me around the time I decided to resign, but none of them were willing to forego their generous expenses. The forum is a waste of taxpayers’ money as it is not serving the people,” Ms Ferris said.
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