Hospital co-location - Conscience or convenience, Mr Martin?

Plans for the co-location hospital in Cork raise many issues. The strongest local objections are from a purely planning perspective.

Whether co-location — which would provide a new private hospital alongside Cork University Hospital (CUH) to free up private beds — is a good or a bad idea is not the issue with 98% of the objectors. They are more concerned about local traffic congestion.

Minister for Trade and Enterprise Micheál Martin has described as “unsustainable” the announced plans for the new €250m co-location hospital.

This is one of three co-location hospitals planned.

The others are on the grounds of Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Co Limerick.

Mr Martin has been objecting on the grounds that significant developments on the CUH campus have added greatly to the volume of traffic in the area and further development would be unsustainable. Local residents fear the area is already overdeveloped, as there are serious traffic problems already.

Mr Martin agrees, and he and his Fianna Fáil colleague, Michael McGrath TD, have submitted formal objections. City manager Joe Gavin has stressed that the planning application will be considered solely within the context of proper planning and development of the area.

As a government minister Mr Martin is in a difficult position, because the co-location concept “is very much part of the government health policy going forward”, according to a spokesman for Health Minister Mary Harney.

Mr Martin stresses he is not against co-location as a policy. His critics will probably be quick to accuse him of supporting the idea that the policy is good any place else, but not in his own backyard. That may be unfair, because he has emphasised from the outset that his objections have been in relation to the congestion problem.

To an extent he is painting himself into a corner. If the planning permission is granted, will he have the courage of his convictions and stand up for the views of those who elected him, or will he take the path of political expediency and personal convenience?

Cynicism with politicians is reaching epidemic proportions. Willie O’Dea was vocal in his principled defence of Shannon Airport until it came to the crunch, and then he abandoned those principles with convenient alacrity. John Gormley seems to be in permanent conflict with his conscience, but he always wins.

If planning permission is granted to Beacon Medical Group for its co-location plans at CUH, Mr Martin will have to decide whether to go along with the project and cabinet consensus, or reflect the wishes of the people in his own constituency, where the CUH is located. Too many members of the Government have been wrestling with their consciences, and their consciences always seem to lose out. We must ask if convenient capitulation has permanently replaced conviction politics?