Concern about the future of accident and emergency hospital services for Co Wicklow was expressed last night with particular focus on St Colmcille's hospital at Loughlinstown in south Co Dublin.
The Labour spokesperson on health, Ms Liz McManus, last night accused the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, of directly contradicting the Hanly report by suggesting that A&E units will not close when the report is implemented.
Brandishing a copy of the report at a packed meeting in Arklow to protest at the alleged "downgrading" of St Colmcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, Ms McManus said that in one week in October, St Colmcille's had dealt with 500 emergency cases.
Ms McManus said those who believed the assertion that only seven extra minutes would be added to ambulance journey times by bypassing Loughlinstown and heading for St Vincent's hospital in Dublin, were "not living in the real world".
Ms McManus also said that "not one cent" had been put into the Budget to implement the Hanly report.
Ms Bernie O'Halloran, a local nurse who organised the meeting with Ms Sinead Burke, told the protesters that the "golden hour" after a critical accident was essential for patients to have a good chance of survival if they are treated by consultants and nurses within that hour.
"If we loose A&E in Loughlinstown, that golden hour will be lost."
Councillor Nicky Kelly (Lab) told the meeting that the constituency of Wicklow was the only constituency in the country not to have a general hospital.
Mr Kelly added in a comment to The Irish Times that if the A&E department in Loughlinstown were to be closed, "the situation will be that people in south Wicklow will have to go as far as Waterford Regional Hospital, or St Vincent's in an emergency case, as Wexford hospital is also being downgraded by the Hanly report".