Sinn Féin TD for Galway East, Louis O’Hara, has criticised Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill for failing to attend a Dáil debate on the downgrading of maternity services at Portiuncula University Hospital.
Instead, Junior Minister at the Department of Enterprise, Alan Dillon, represented the Government during the debate, taking questions from Deputies O’Hara and Claire Kerrane.
Raising the issue in the Dáil, Deputy O’Hara said, “I will say at the outset that it is a disgrace that the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is not here. The downgrading of maternity services at Portiuncula University Hospital is a huge issue that is causing enormous stress and worry for families in my constituency and beyond. She is accountable for this and should have the decency and courage to come in here tonight to take questions. It is deeply disrespectful to all those impacted by this.”
He argued that the changes mean mothers in east Galway will face long journeys to University Hospital Galway for care. “It is not acceptable to expect high-risk patients to have to travel long distances for essential care and sometimes emergency care. It is causing huge stress and worry for families and is a decision that does not appear to have been fully thought through in terms of the consequences.”
Deputy Claire Kerrane said the Minister should have been present to answer questions directly. “She should be here to tell us why pregnant women in our region are going to be forced to travel to access maternity care and have their babies. She should be here tonight to tell us why she and the HSE have made a decision that essentially means we are not going to restore full maternity services at Portiuncula.”
Responding, Minister Dillon said, “The safety and quality of our maternity services are of critical importance to the women and families who use them, as well as to the Government. I understand recent developments at Portiuncula may undoubtedly cause concern and worry for many women and families who attend or plan to attend services at the Portiuncula maternity unit. However, steps are being taken to support the unit and to ensure the safety of women attending maternity services across the region.”
Speaking after the debate, Deputy O’Hara added, “The Minister for Health’s failure to take questions in the Dáil was deeply disrespectful to families impacted by this decision. The Minister must come into the Dáil to provide answers and clarity on the many questions that have been raised in relation to this decision.”
