Harney fails the test she sets for others

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney has criticised the protesters who threw eggs and cheese at her car for failing to use reasoned debate and democratic methods to further their aims.

This is surely a little hypocritical as at least in the case of her decision to close St Luke’s Cancer Hospital in Dublin, she has used neither.

Campaigners for this existing ‘centre of excellence’ have tried peaceful marches, lobbying, public meetings and this summer handed in 150,000 signatures to the minister while a bill to close St Luke’s was before the Dáil.

There was some excellent debate in the Dáil and Seanad notably from Ruairi Quinn, Jan O’Sullivan and Dr James Reilly. However, Minister Harney would not consider amendments put down by Labour and Fine Gael. The bill was passed by four votes when the six Greens, who we understood supported St Luke’s, voted to close it.

Minister Harney then fast-tracked the President’s signature on the bill. This month the Save St Luke’s Campaign has published a book, Cancer in a Cold Climate – the Shafting of St Luke’s Hospital (available at www.originalwriting.ie), in a further attempt to encourage rational debate about the flawed decision process that led to this decision. It is ironic that the minister claims it is about best practice and best outcomes for patients when St Luke’s, with its 179 beds, is to be replaced by a new cancer unit which is merely an outpatients’ centre on the St James’s campus with no beds and no food for patients. At some stage, somewhere in the main hospital, there will be 12 dedicated cancer beds for the whole of the south-east.

The only ‘threatening’ protest in which our campaign engaged was to shout “shame” at the Green TDs in the Dáil lobby after they had voted to close St Luke’s. One committee member was threatened with arrest for this.

Could your readers suggest what other methods we could use to get the minister to listen to us?

Joe Guilfoyle

Chairman

Save St Luke’s Campaign

Luke Wadding Street

Waterford