I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to again raise this important matter on the Adjournment. I assume the Minister for Education and Science is responding. I am disappointed that none of the Ministers with responsibility for health can be here to respond. However, the Minister for Education and Science is in the North-Eastern Health Board area and our nearest county and, perhaps, he will convey the message to the Minister.
As one of those who had asked for an independent person outside the health board structure to look at the situation in Monaghan General Hospital I had looked forward to the Bonner report. Where stands the Bonner report? Has any of it been implemented? Is there a process in place to ensure it is implemented in full? I saw this exercise as a start to stabilise Monaghan Gen eral Hospital. It is now 15 months since Monaghan General Hospital was taken off call. Is Mr. Kevin Bonner still involved? Mr. Bonner assured the North Eastern Health Board and the general public, through the media, attending that meeting that he was confident funding would be made available to honour his report. He was appointed by the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, and had discussions with the Department of Health and Children and other personnel as well as the chief executive and members of the North Eastern Health Board.
Monaghan General Hospital is providing a good service to those who know the way in. Patients can go in by car, on foot or on a bicycle but not by ambulance. The father of Denis Taylor, the famous snooker player, was operated on in Monaghan General Hospital as part of a cross-Border co-operation project. Yet patients from this island have been sent to Manchester at enormous cost to the nation for similar surgery which could have been carried out by eminent surgeons in Monaghan General Hospital. Two of these surgeons were appointed when my colleague, Deputy Noonan, was Minister for Health and Children. The surgeon, Mr. Moloney, retired and was replaced by two surgeons, Mr. McAleese and Mr. McMullan.
The Bonner report does not go anywhere near delivering what I or others would desire for Monaghan General Hospital, its excellent staff and its patients. The restructuring suggested would be a major start. Some €3.8 million to be spent on a treatment room and a further €10 million, as proposed in the report, for 2004 would be a first real step of commitment to Monaghan General Hospital. The Minister has a budget of €9.2 million to deal with the problems including Monaghan General Hospital and Cavan General Hospital or have them treated as equal partners under the Cavan-Monaghan hospital arrangement.
I believe the overall budget is not the problem, and this belief is supported by none other than Professor Niamh Brennan. A recent newspaper report stated:
In the past, commentators have referred to a black hole in the health service. The problems found through her report were not so much a black hole, rather there are so many holes in our health services that it is more akin to a colander or a sieve.
Professor Brennan was appointed by the Minister to produce a report and she has made it clear that she believes her report's recommendations will only be implemented by an independent person who is outside the health board.
We have had an independent person in Monaghan who is outside the health board, but nine months after his appointment we have seen no improvements. In his final summary he said that the proposals provide a sound basis for Monaghan to continue providing excellent patient care, which complements services being provided elsewhere. It is vital that all the consultants in Cavan-Monaghan agree and actively support these proposals and participate in the preparation and implementation of the necessary protocols. I would like to see that happening.
There has been cross-party support for Monaghan General Hospital within our council chamber and I was part of that. It has not worked and I am pleading with the Minister. The Hanly report will come out in the next 24 hours or so but we always seem to be one report away from a decision. The Minister appointed Mr. Kevin Bonner and it is on his report that the Minister and the health board must deliver.