A copy of last week’s edition of the Northern Standard was produced in the Dáil by Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan Matt Carthy when he challenged Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD on issues relating to Monaghan Hospital. Deputy Carthy was speaking during a debate on a Sinn Féin motion prompted by the threatened closure of emergency services at Navan Hospital. The Sinn Féin TD referred to a front page story in the newspaper indicating that Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher had been informed that Minister Donnelly was willing to engage with him regarding the extension of the hours of operation at Monaghan Hospital’s Minor Injury Unit.
Deputy Carthy contrasted this with a response he had previously received from the Minister on this issue in which Deputy Donnelly said that this was an operational matter but that there were no plans to expand the Monaghan MIU opening hours. “Which is it? Is it an operational matter or are Fianna Fáil playing political games?” he asked. The Sinn Féin TD also recalled assurances given by current Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD when he was Minister for Health regarding the future of Monaghan Hospital, and subsequent downgrading of services at the facility. Speaking on the motion, he stated: “The people of Meath are 100% correct to fight for their hospital services and their elected representatives are absolutely correct to bring this matter to the floor of the Dáil. “I would say to the people of Meath and their representatives to be keep fighting and to be extremely wary of promises of better services to come at some point in the future. Because, as someone from Co Monaghan, we’ve heard it all before.”
Producing a local newspaper front page from 2002, Deputy Carthy said: “We know what happens to commitments on local hospital services given by Fianna Fáil Ministers for Health. Look at this headline from 2002: ‘Minister Assures future of Monaghan Hospital’. “Who was that Minister? None other than ‘Minister for Health and Children, Mícheál Martin TD, gave a categorical assurance in Monaghan on Tuesday that the future of Monaghan General Hospital was secure.’ “We’re not even allowed to call it a general hospital anymore! “But, of course, that Minister, Micheál Martin, and all those who came behind him – continued to oversee the downgrading of services from our hospital. Always with the promise of better services to come. “We’re still waiting. Because better services didn’t come. “Ask anyone who has drove by the gates of Monaghan Hospital to land in the maelstrom that is Cavan…
