SEANAD REPORT:IT WAS scandalous that Galway University Hospital was faced with having to make a €3 million cut in cancer care, Fidelma Healy-Eames (FG) said.
The hospital was experiencing underfunding of €22 million. Most Senators “would be shocked to hear” that €12 million of that was funding promised to the hospital for cancer drugs and 30 staff following its designation as one of the cancer centres of excellence.
To address this deficit the hospital must cut €3 million allocated for treatment of end-of-life cancer patients. The Minister for Health, Prof Tom Keane and Prof Brendan Drumm must be answerable for this, said Ms Healy-Eames.
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Consideration should be given to privatising the passport service, Fiona O’Malley (Ind) said.
Jim Walsh (FF) said he thought they owed a debt of gratitude to the Civil Public and Services Union: “They have laid bare all the defects and weaknesses within the whole public service sector. We have had people who are looking for passports, who have lost a considerable amount of money because those who are paid good wages and salaries, with pensions you could not buy in the private sector, are not functioning.”
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Geraldine Feeney (FF) called on Fine Gael Seanad leader Frances Fitzgerald to put her money where her mouth was and resign. It had annoyed her greatly to hear Ms Fitzgerald come out after her party conference and say she supported the abolition of the Seanad.
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