Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen to discuss petition seeking to ‘Re-open Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Emergency Departments’

The meeting at 1.30pm in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House and will hear from the petitioner and campaigner, Ms Noeleen Moran, and campaigners Ms Marie McMahon and Ms Hilary Tonge.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Martin Browne said: “This petition is seeking the reopening of the emergency departments in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s hospitals in Clare, Tipperary and Limerick respectively. The closure of these three units and downgrading of the hospitals has left some 400,000 people in the three counties reliant on the overcrowded and under pressure emergency department in University Hospital Limerick. The Committee looks forward to discussing the details of this petition with Ms Moran, Ms McMahon and Ms Tonge and hearing their concerns regarding emergency medical care in the Mid-West and related matters.

“Members will also consider a petition seeking to ‘Amend Child Care Act 1991 to provide HIQA with the necessary powers to sanction Tusla, Child and Family Agency when it fails to meet its statutory obligations”. Other petitions for discussion include ‘Irish Citizenship Naturalisation application processing time’, ‘Electric Scooter Safety, Standards and Requirements’, ‘Create a Health Services Student Allowance’, ‘Create a walking and cycling greenway on the closed railway from Sligo to Athenry’ and ‘Disability Benefit Support Increase and Eligibility Revision’.”

The Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen is a standing Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas and has 11 Members, seven from the Dáil and four from the Seanad.

The meeting in the Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.