I have private notice questions in the names of Deputies Flaherty and Desmond O'Malley. The subject is similar, the escalation of the radiographers' dispute.
Private Notice Questions. - Radiographers' Dispute.
asked the Minister for Health the action he proposes to take to help resolve the worsening situation in the hospitals especially following the escalation of the radiographers' dispute this week with pickets on hospitals and the problem of the growing backlog of serious cases awaiting medical treatment.
asked the Minister for Health if in view of the further escalation in the radiographers' dispute and the fact that X-ray facilities were not available for part of yesterday to seriously ill patients including people in intensive care, he will indicate the action, if any he is taking to ensure that emergency cases are dealt with.
I propose to take the two questions together.
The Labour Court has been in almost constant session since 4 p.m. yesterday in an attempt to resolve this dispute. The court has just issued proposals to the parties involved for the settlement of the dispute. The parties and my Department and myself will now consider these proposals as a matter of urgency. I appreciate that a difficult situation exists on the ground in many hospitals and at this stage I would appeal to the radiographers and the other health professionals involved to ensure that a minimum and, in keeping with the traditions of the health services, an effective emergency service is provided and that no patient's life will be put in danger. I would, therefore, ask that the pickets be lifted pending consideration of the proposals.
In view of the fact that apart from emergency treatment for patients suffering from fractures, patients suffering from cancer or who are in need of heart operations and transplants are affected by the dispute, does the Minister not think that the situation is entirely unacceptable? While we all hope for and expect a speedy outcome of the problem, will he undertake to review the procedures, and the legislation if necessary, governing these disputes with a view to ensuring that this sort of situation does not occur again? It is entirely unacceptable that lives be put at risk in this fashion.
I share the Deputy's concern about this situation in the hospitals which is due to the fact that the radiographers left their work but I ask the Deputy to bear with me today because a very delicate situation exists at the moment.
Is the Minister aware that in the past number of weeks private patients have been X-rayed as required while public patients in a similar situation have not been X-rayed? Does he regard this as acceptable or satisfactory? What steps can he take to cope with that matter in particular?
I have monitored the position daily and I am aware of what is happening in the hospitals. I am concerned at the fact that patients who need X-rays have not access to X-ray facilities. As I said to Deputy Flaherty, I do not want to become too deeply involved in this dispute as it is at a very delicate stage at the moment.
Would the Minister indicate to the House the terms of the Labour Court's recommendation on this matter that have just been issued?
The proposals have just come to hand and I have not studied them yet. I do not think that it is the practice that proposals become public in this House before parties involved in the dispute have had time to study them.