This article is from page 3 of the 2006-09-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
FINE Gael leader Enda Kenny has not ruled out the controversial Hanly Report for Clare, but has warned that the proposed centralisation of hospital services is not based on patients’ needs.
The alternative Taoiseach also warned that the capital development programme for Ennis General Hospital was “a smoke screen” to hide “the fact that the Government does not want to improve services” at the county hospital.
Deputy Kenny said he was concerned that the Government was planning to downgrade services there “in the long run”.
In an interview with The Clare People , the Leader of the Opposition said “no services should be removed from smaller hospitals until there is a genuine alternative in place that would not affect patient care.
“Many of the plans for centralisation of hospital services around the country do not focus on the needs of the patient, but rather appear to be based on cost containment.”
He said the infrastructure for routine transfer of patients over long distances between hospitals was not in place.
“The Government has consistently refused to give any commitment on the future status of Ennis hospital, and there is every reason to be concerned that Fianna Fáil and the PDs want to downgrade it to a local hospital.”
As the country’s politicians prepare to return to the Dáil after their long summer break, Deputy Kenny criticised the Government’s lack of commitment to the Banner County, which he said can be seen from its poor job-creation record.
“New jobs are being created across the country, but Ennis is being left behind. Ennis must not become a dormitory town, with its residents forced to travel elsewhere to work,” he warned.
“Job creation depends on good transport links, and Fine Gael believes the Western Rail Corridor should play an integral role in attracting new employers.”
He said his party sees Shannon Airport as vital to the future of the mid-West and the entire country.
He added that access to the airport was vital to making Shannon an attractive destination for any airline planning to avail of Open Skies, “and if this isn’t prioritised, we will have grass growing on the runway long before 2015.
“Any loss of access to the US will impact on critical US employment in the Shannon area and risks seeing big investors pull out of the West.
“Although discussion on Open Skies has been deferred, should it become a reality, Open Skies will present opportunities for every EU and US airport, including Shannon. Equally, Shannon will face competition from every well-placed European airport, most of which have excellent onward links to almost any other mainland destination. That is why domestic links to Shannon must be prioritised,” he said.
Deputy Kenny outlined how the people of Clare had suffered a decline in quality of life in the last decade.
“The Government has given lipservice to the rights of people to build houses in their own communities, while working against this through planning regulations,” he said.
“Average house prices are up from €69,000 in 1996 (the last full year Fine Gael was in office) to €245,000 at the end of last year making it impossible for many young couples to afford their own home,” he added.
“There are 3157 primary school children in classes of 30 or more, despite Fianna Fail promises.”