First of all, I wish to refer specifically to the outrageous personal attacks made on me last night by Deputies Boland and L'Estrange. Deputy Burke is my colleague in the constituency. She is respected by all and sundry. She has headed the poll consistently in the constituency and I ask her personally to dissociate herself from the intemperate remarks by those two Deputies. They were a disgrace to their party and to their constituents. I know Deputy Burke, a respected and honourable lady, will dissociate herself from those remarks. The irresponsible contributions last night of those two Deputies reflected on themselves, on their party and on the motion. The jokes by Deputy L'Estrange about draining the Shannon and other remarks by Deputy Boland brought the debate to a low level and I hope that when Deputy Burke is replying she will dissociate herself from those remarks and earn the respect of her constituency.
Nobody has been associated more closely with or has had a greater personal interest in this hospital than I, and I can go back to my birth in this hospital 33 years ago. Naturally one would have a close relationship with the hospital in which one was born. I am the first Deputy from Roscommon town to be elected in 54 years. Prior to my election to the Dáil I was deeply involved in this hospital, even prior to my council election in 1974, but particularly since the FitzGerald Report in 1968. I was among the first to launch a campaign against that report and I fought consistently during the years about any downgrading of Roscommon County Hospital. I worked for the improvement of that hospital, prior to my election and since my election. There is no Minister more approachable in matters of this kind than Deputy Haughey. He has met me and my colleague, Deputy Doherty, on occasions too numerous to mention, to discuss the whole future of the hospital in federation with Portiuncula.
I appreciate the Minister's commitment to this federation which he outlined so clearly last night. I have the fullest confidence in the manner in which the Minister is handling this situation.
I will refer again to my personal involvement in this hospital. My parents owe their lives to the fact that this hospital was operating effectively and was in a position to treat their complaints over the years, particularly since they became elderly. I will continue my campaign within Fianna Fáil, with the support of Deputy Doherty and of the people of the constituency who sent me here. This hospital was totally neglected by the previous administration.
To deal specifically with the maternity side of the hospital, at the moment we have 25 maternity beds with all the ancillary services necessary for safe deliveries, including nursing and medical staffs. We are looking for a qualified obstetrician/gynaecologist to work in that unit with the midwife-nurses and the trained backup nursing and medical staffs. I would have complete confidence in a maternity unit which would have an obstetrician/gynaecologist. I hope the negotiations that are proceeding and will proceed with Comhairle na nOispidéal will come to fruition and I am reasurred by the Minister's statement that he will not stand in the way and that he will make the necessary funds available.
Since the appointment of this Government many major programmes have been implemented in the Roscommon hospital. Since the last election we have sought and have obtained the permanent appointments of a surgeon and a physician to that hospital. We have also obtained major improvements in the hospital which have enabled us to provide a first class service in the medical and surgical wings. There was the permanent appointment last October of a consultant physician, Mr. McHugh, a few months after the appointment of this Government. A consultant surgeon, Mr. Michael Relihan, was appointed on 1 November 1977. At the time, the CEO reported:
Most favourable comments from the patients and their relatives as well as the family doctors in County Roscommon have been received for the very substantial increase in the workload of the hospital in Roscommon. In the current financial year many improvements have been carried out at the County Hospital, Roscommon, including the provision of a new accident department, operating theatre and coronary unit as well as an arrangement for the supply of sterile goods from the Hospitals Joint Service Boards.
Without doubt it is an excellent hospital which has been improved to a great extent since June 1977. That is what I had been fighting for over the years—the upgrading of this hospital. The hospital has been upgraded and I am proud to be associated with the improvements.
I have in my possession details of the number of admissions and operations but I will not go into that because of my limited time. The existence of this hospital has saved many lives, victims of serious car accidents, in the last few months. As late as last weekend, five young men were involved in a serious car accident. Unfortunately one of them was fatally injured, but the other four are making satisfactory recoveries in the hospital. We are very thankful that this hospital was there to save the lives of these young people and many more people. The former Minister for Health, Mr. Seán Flanagan, had a serious accident and due to the work of Surgeon O'Hanrahan, Dr. Walls and others he made a very satisfactory recovery.
I do not know why Deputy Mrs. Burke is playing politics with the lives of the people of Roscommon. I am surprised that she is using this opportunity to try to embarrass the Government or the Deputies from the constituency. She is not helping the situation. This Private Members' motion is faulty in its presentation. The way in which it is proposed is incorrect and, under Standing Orders, I shall ask later if it can be taken as it stands. I shall seek clarification on the matter in a few moments.
I am surprised and disappointed that my colleague, Deputy Burke, should come here and use the opportunity to embarrass the Government or to play politics with this important issue. This issue is above and beyond political consideration. So far as I am concerned, my political future is of no consequence so long as Roscommon County Hospital has the necessary services. So long as that happens I shall be content to carry on with my other work and go out of this House but while I am in the House I shall fight for the services in the Roscommon County Hospital. I am quite hopeful that I shall have the backing of the Government and the Minister.
I would ask Deputy Burke about the inactivity for four-and-a-half years when the former Minister for Health, Deputy Corish, did not bother to examine the situation to see if there could be a solution to the federation discussions that were taking place. It was a period of total inactivity so far as the hospital in Roscommon was concerned. Deputy Mrs. Burke is a member of Fine Gael and she must take responsibility for the inactivity of the former Minister for Health so far as Roscommon was concerned. I know that she will accept that responsibility. So far as Deputy Corish was concerned, Roscommon was totally irrelevant because he knew there were very few votes there for his party. The supporters of the National Coalition were not able to persuade him to supply the necessary finances to support any federation proposals.
I appreciate what Deputy Burke said last night in relation to the major developments that are taking place in our constituency. These developments will provide more jobs, more investment and more confidence in the future. If there are more births in the area this will strengthen our hand when we are fighting for this appointment in Roscommon. I am delighted that she has recognised the major contributions of the Government in the development of the area in the past 16 months. I am working not only for the future of the hospital but also for the economic needs of the area. It is gratifying that Deputy Burke has accepted what has been done in the recent past.
Last night Mrs. Burke quoted from newspapers. I am not going to indulge in petty politics here. I am not going to comment on what journalists wrote in certain newspaper on a certain date. The people will judge what has happened. I have been outspoken with regard to the hospital but this is because I am fighting for the people of Roscommon. If journalists do not quote me correctly that is their business. I am a politician and I do my business. If I am misquoted so be it, but the people will judge the situation as it arises. I am not going to delve into papers of a few years ago or to comment on what was said by Deputies then. I shall not even refer to the Roscommon Herald of January 1977 when an article stated that Mrs Burke reassured the people——