Cross-party delegation to visit children's hospital

A delegation of politicians will visit Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin today ahead of a Dáil motion calling on the Government to reverse swingeing health cutbacks.

The cross-party group will meet the board of management to see first-hand the impact of ward closures and reductions at the site.

The Dáil’s committee on health and children has also invited Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm to discuss the situation in the coming weeks.

Hospital management have revealed they have been forced to close wards, reduce outpatient appointments and shut theatres in the upcoming months in a bid to meet budget cuts.

Parents of sick children have also raised concerns over vital surgeries being postponed.

Fine Gael is to put forward a private members’ motion in the Dáil tonight calling on the Government to reverse the cutbacks at Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

The party’s health spokesman Dr James Reilly said the cuts will lead to a reduction of 8,483 attendances and 1,100 admissions at the hospital in 2009.

“The cutbacks at Crumlin are among the most cruel and the most senseless I have seen,” Dr Reilly said.

Fine Gael transport spokesperson, Fergus O’Dowd, also claimed the HSE spent over €60m on taxis in 2007 and 2008.

“While there is clearly a need to provide transport for patients, the overall spend of €60m in two years is unacceptably high,” he said.

“This is the kind of waste that must be cut out through more sensible spending.

“There was no doubt that savings could be made on this massive bill allowing the reversal of cutbacks at Crumlin Children’s Hospital.”

The members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children arranged the fact-finding visit ahead of a forthcoming committee hearing.

“The visit will ensure the committee are fully briefed and informed before speaking to Professor Drumm on this matter,” a spokesman added.