Seanad report: A Fianna Fáil Senator claimed the chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE) was using the Monaghan hospital situation in an attempt to revive the Hanly report.
While expressing sympathy with the family of Patrick Walsh who died at the hospital last Friday, Terry Leyden said he was concerned about the statements made by Prof Drumm yesterday. "As far as I can see, I think he is trying to resurrect the Hanly report, and I don't think he should use the situation in Monaghan.
" I don't want to be associated with the Hanly report. I said 'bin it' from day one, because it was the death knell of small hospitals, and I don't think he should use the situation in Monaghan to try to rationalise the hospitals of this country outside of Government policy. He should be adhering to Government policy, not creating policy himself," added Mr Leyden.
In response to a Fine Gael-led demand for an emergency debate on the circumstances surrounding Mr Walsh's death, the leader of the House, Mary O'Rourke, said Minister for Health Mary Harney was agreeable to having an hour-long session for statements today. Ms Harney herself or another appropriate Minister would attend.
Ms O'Rourke said politicians should of course have their say on hospital services. "We all agree you should have centres of excellence, but it's very difficult to have them if every area wants one. It just is not possible."
Noel Coonan (FG) asked how many more lives would have to be lost before somebody on the Government side was prepared to stand up, take responsibility and ask, "Who is running health?"