Write a comment
Richard Boyd Barrett TD has called on the Taoiseach Micheal Martin to use the Shared Island fund to help keep maternity and other services at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry. He raised the issue in the Dáil explaining that shortages of consultants have led to maternity services being transferred temporarily to Craigavon Area Hospital. He met campaigners from the SOS Daisy Hill campaign in Newry on Monday night.
Boyd Barrett said: “I was in Newry on Monday night meeting campaigners who are part of the SOS Daisy Hill campaign. This campaign is opposing relocation of maternity services to Craigavon hospital because of a lack of consultants at Daisy Hill Thousands of people have marched in Newry to keep the services in Daisy Hill.”
He told the Dáil that patients from the South Armagh area are to be rerouted to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. He said the Craigavon hospital is itself struggling to deliver services.
“Patients from South Armagh are due to be rerouted across the border to Drogheda’s Lourdes Hospital. Ambulance coverage in the North is already inadequate and families must now face dangerous journeys in stressful situations."
He also highlighted the number of people who use Daisy Hill from the other side of the border. “Over 70,000 people in the Republic use Daisy Hill Hospital. For them, it is the nearest acute hospital.”
Boyd Barrett said the suspension of maternity services at Daisy Hill could be reversed. “Whilst the Daisy Hill maternity suspension is indefinite the removal is not yet permanent and it could be returned if more consultants are recruited or trained.”
He called on the Taoiseach to act. “The Taoiseach should engage with this very serious issue and use the Shared Island fund in his own department to assist in developing an all-Ireland health service which will keep maternity services and other services in Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry.”
In reply the Taoiseach said it was a matter for the executive: "That's a matter for the elected representatives of Northern Ireland, from the Executive. There may be a background issue to the relocation of maternity. Every health service has had strategic reconfiguration of services. It doesn't mean the end or closure of any particular hospital, but it could mean different things going on in different hospitals.
"We do invest in Northern Ireland hospitals, but it's very much on the basis we don't interfere with the policy. That's a matter for the Executive and those in government in Northern Ireland" He concluded "There are lots of tricky issues there. There are complex issues in respect of that."
People Before Profit’s Newry and Armagh representative Marc Mac Seáin added: “The local community needs services in Daisy Hill and I will continue to work with campaigners to escalate mobilisation and take action to ensure services in Daisy Hill are retained and protected.”
