Waterford News & Star

Tim Ryan, Correspondent

People in the south-east feel marginalised and alienated - Martin

People in the south-east, in particular in , are very angry and they feel marginalised and alienated due to the way they have been treated in regard to the second cath lab for WUH, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told the Dáil.

He told Taoiseach that Deputies Mary Butler and hosted a meeting in the Leinster House audio-visual room for public representatives at which the late Thomas Power’s sister gave a heart-rending account of the devastation endured by her and her family as a result of her brother’s untimely death. “She used simple words to encapsulate the entire event, namely, that the doors had been closed to him in seeking access to emergency heart treatment or intervention,” he said. “Thousands more in the south-east are beyond the 90-minute window that cardiologists say is the essential timeframe within which to be treated from first medical contact. Others argue that it is less than that, but every minute counts, as the Taoiseach knows.”

In 2012, he said a national assessment was made and Waterford University Hospital featured as a designated PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention centre. A business report was presented in 2014. It was accepted by the clinical review team in the south-east at the time and it was sent to the HSE. It was accepted and those concerned were told the facility was queued for funding. With regard to the provision of the mobile cath lab, nothing had happened in the past 12 months.

In response, the Taoiseach said the HSE's national service plan of 2017 identified the implementation of the recommendations of the Herity report as a priority and additional funding of €0.5 million was provided. “An additional €0.5 million in funding was provided in 2017 to enable the hospital to provide two additional cath lab sessions per week, as per Dr. Herity's recommendations,” he said. “The cath lab is now funded to provide 12 sessions, that is, 48 hours of activity per week. The HSE issued a tender, last week, for a mobile cath lab, which will contribute on an interim basis to the further reduction in elective cardiology waiting lists at the hospital. The Minister is also committed to a further review to assess the impact that these improvements have had on the volume of patients attending. This review will take place at the end of the deployment of the mobile cath lab.”

“The organisation of primary PCI services is an issue for the whole country and it relates to how we provide services for our whole population, taking into account the best evidence available,” he said. “The Minister for Health is, therefore, committed to a full national review of primary PCI services and his Department will make the arrangements for this to be undertaken based on the independent clinical expertise.”

Cullinane introduces new Bill to protect workers New legislation to provide for protections for employees in situations of collective redundancy in which the employer is insolvent, was introduced in the Dáil by Sinn Féin Deputy David Cullinane.

“We have seen far too many cases over the years in which companies have used the courts to engage in tactical liquidation to avoid paying their debts to their employees and creditors,” he said. “The cost of this is ultimately borne by the State. In effect, such tactical insolvencies are fraud and amount to theft - the theft of workers' pay and pensions, the theft of goods and services from other companies and the theft of revenue from the State. At present, all of this is perfectly legal but of course we know it is wrong and consequently there is a responsibility on Deputies as legislators to fix this problem.”

Deputy Cullinane said his Bill would also provide for a 30-day consultation period where it is known that the company's liabilities are such that they will trigger redundancies. “The Minister (Frances Fitzgerald) will also remember the case of TalkTalk in Waterford and many cases over the years where workers were not given proper notice,” he said. “Many of these workers found out their jobs were lost through social media. Workers need protections in law to ensure they are given proper notice and that proper consultation takes place with the trade unions and the worker representatives. Of course, this does not always happen. The Bill rights that wrong by balancing the rights of the employee and the rights of the employer. It is only in cases where the High Court deems a fraud to have occurred that it will require the assets to be returned to the liquidator for disbursal among the employer's creditors, including the former workforce.”

Better to protect people before they lose their homes - Senator

Society would be much better served if we were to find a way to help people to stay in their homes rather than try to assist them after they have lost them, Senator Grace O’Sullivan told the Upper House.

She was speaking in support of a Private Member’s Bill that would give a fresh start to borrowers, to allow mortgagees or borrowers to buy their mortgage debt from the banks and create a new co-operative society that will rely on the European Investment Bank in providing the funding required to buy secured loans from lenders.

“The Green Party supports the principles behind the Bill,” she said. “I agree, in particular, with the aim of the Bill to deal with the issue of insolvency and tackle the parasitic vulture funds in Ireland. The housing crisis is being seen purely as a financial issue, but that mindset must be turned around. The Bill should be about providing support which I believe is the approach proposed by Senator David Norris. My party wholeheartedly supports the Bill on this Stage. I look forward to making further inputs as it passes through the different Stages.”

The aim of the Bill before the House is to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place, she said. It should, therefore, be well supported and commended. “As a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, I have advocated for much stronger action by the Government to end homelessness and tackle the catastrophic rise in rents, particularly in the Dublin region,” she said. “Since the beginning the Civil Engagement group has focused on adopting a social approach to housing. We view it not as an investment but as a right. We want to see strong action being taken by the State and locally to deal with the issue.”