I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding emergency services at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. On Tuesday, 21 June 2022, on the question, "That the amendment to the amendment be made", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 80(2), that division must be taken now.
Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Guirke on Tuesday, 21 June 2022:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes:
— the announcement on 13th June by senior members of the Health Service Executive (HSE) that the final stages of downgrading the 24-hour Emergency Department (ED) at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan (OLHN) would commence on 30th June, 2022;
— that HSE officials have acknowledged that Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda will see an increase in emergency patients and a projected increase of 2,100 ambulance transfers per year from Navan;
— that, in May 2022, the average wait time for EDs across the State was 11.2 hours, significantly above the Sláintecare target of four hours;
— that figures from May 2022 show that the average waiting time for admission to EDs at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda are 11.9 and 8.9 hours respectively, with 48 per cent of patients at Connolly Hospital and 31 per cent at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital waiting over 12 hours;
— that the last census shows that Meath is one of the fastest growing counties in Ireland with a population of over 195,000;
— the consistently high waiting times and ongoing overcrowding in EDs across the State and, only in the past two weeks, that the Mater University Hospital ED in Dublin was forced to advise members of the public to stay away;
— that EDs closed under the small hospitals framework, such as Ennis and Nenagh, were closed without the corresponding increase in capacity at University Hospital Limerick, which is one of the most chronically overcrowded hospitals in the State, and that senior management have publicly called for an elective hospital to be built in the area; and
— a press statement released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) on the same day as the announcement by the HSE in respect of OLHN, stating that the body was left with no option but to consult with members in EDs across the State on potential industrial action due to the consistent overcrowding and lack of action by the Government, as there were 457 patients on hospital trollies that day;
further notes:
— the contradictory statement from the Minister for Health on the 14th June that "No decision regarding the HSE's proposal for the transition of the Emergency Department at Our Lady's Hospital Navan has been agreed by this Government", despite the fact that the briefing event on 13th June to local Oireachtas members and media was arranged at the request of the Minister for Health, which is symbolic of the chaos and confusion at the heart of the current Government; and
— the Minister for Health's complete failure to address the chronic under capacity in primary, community and acute care services in the region, which puts people's health in danger; and
calls on the Minister for Health to:
— immediately clarify his position, and that of the Government, in relation to the future of the ED in OLHN;
— put forward proposals to protect and enhance emergency and critical services at OLHN and the wider Eastern Health region;
— immediately put forward plans to address overcrowding in EDs across the State, including investment in community and primary care, out of hours general practitioner care and realignment of care to reduce pressure on existing hospital EDs, including the emergency services at OLHN; and
— immediately engage with members of the INMO, convene the Emergency Department Taskforce as requested three times by the INMO, and commit to the implementation of the Emergency Department Agreement which was agreed between the HSE and the INMO.
The following amendment No. 1 was moved by the Minister for Health:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that:
— the Health Service Executive (HSE) and clinicians in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan have clinical concerns about the safety of the Emergency Department (ED) in the hospital;
— the North East Doctor on Call service has expressed concern regarding reports that the acute Medical Assessment Unit will only be accessible by means of a general practitioner (GP) referral, as they believe this will create further pressures on already overloaded daytime and out of hours GPs;
— there are also clear concerns of clinicians at other hospitals that would be impacted by the suggested changes at a time when all health services are under such pressure; and
— no Government decision has been taken regarding the HSE's proposal for the transition of the ED of Our Lady's Hospital, Navan; and
agrees that several important issues, including additional capacity in other hospitals impacted, EDs, as well as the continued ability of people in the Navan area to access emergency and urgent care, would need to be fully addressed before any proposed transition by the HSE could be considered."
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1:
To delete all words from "notes that" down to and including "could be considered" and substitute the following:
"calls for:
— the Government to end plans to close the ED in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan;
— the Government to remove the policy within Securing the Future of Smaller Hospitals: A Framework for Development to downgrade Our Lady's Hospital, Navan from a level 3 hospital to a level 2 hospital; and
— the necessary investment to be made by the HSE to restore acute surgical services in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan in order to provide a safe service to the 200,000 people living in Co. Meath"
-(Deputy Peadar Tóibín)
Amendment to amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 52; Níl, 68; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Joan.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Pa.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Murphy, Verona.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Níl
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Niall.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Michael.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
- Varadkar, Leo.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Peadar Tóibín and Seán Canney; Níl, Deputies Jack Chambers and Brendan Griffin.
Amendment to amendment declared lost.
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 68; Níl, 53; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Niall.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Michael.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
- Varadkar, Leo.
Níl
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Berry, Cathal.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Joan.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Pa.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Murphy, Verona.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Jack Chambers and Brendan Griffin; Níl, Deputies Johnny Guirke and Darren O'Rourke.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
Question put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 69; Níl, 53; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Niall.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Michael.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
- Varadkar, Leo.
Níl
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Berry, Cathal.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Joan.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Pa.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Murphy, Verona.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Jack Chambers and Brendan Griffin; Níl, Deputies Johnny Guirke and Darren O'Rourke.
Question declared carried.
Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar
www.oireachtas.ie
.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 8.02 p.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Déardaoin, an 23 Meitheamh 2022.
The Dáil adjourned at 8.02 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Thursday, 23 June 2022.