Matt Shanahan: Refuses Taoiseach Vote Over Cardiac Care Discrimination
Matt Shanahan spoke as the representative for Waterford City and County and the South East, refusing to support the nomination of any Taoiseach tonight in protest over cardiac services at University Hospital Waterford. He described the South East as suffering "significant discrimination" in cardiac care and cited limited access hours, transfers to other centres, and HSE data on delayed patient transfers.
Reason for withholding support
Matt Shanahan said he will not vote in favour of any Taoiseach this evening as a mark of protest against unequal cardiac services affecting Waterford and the wider South East region. He framed his decision as a response to what he called significant discrimination in the provision of care at University Hospital Waterford.
Details of cardiac service shortcomings
He noted there are five national cardiac centres and said the Waterford centre - serving roughly 500,000 people - is the only one restricted to 39 hours access. He highlighted that patients must be ferried by ambulance or by helicopter when available to centres in Cork or Dublin, which he said delays transfer times and can cause additional cardiac damage.
HSE data on patient transfers
Matt Shanahan cited HSE data from 2015 to 2018 showing that only 1.5% of patient transfers in that period - totaling over 300 patients - were received at an alternative cardiac centre within the appropriate timeframe. He described that outcome as unacceptable and urged other members of the House to view it as such.
Conditions for future support
He said he hopes to support a progressive programme of government in future but set conditions - that equity and fairness must be at its heart. He said he wants to see people reflected in responses to challenges in education, housing, healthcare and homelessness before offering support.
Commitment to cross-house cooperation
Despite withholding his vote tonight, Matt Shanahan said he will do all he can to work with everybody in the House to achieve fairer outcomes for his constituents and the South East.
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I was elected to represent the constituency of Waterford City and County and I also do so representing the people of the South East region. I will not be supporting the nomination of any Taoiseach here tonight as a mark of protest for the fact that we in the South East and in Waterford suffer significant discrimination in the provision of cardiac services at our University Hospital Waterford. There are five national cardiac centres in the country and the House might be interested to know that the one in Waterford which treats 500,000 people is the only one restricted to a 39 hours access. The only one that has to ferry people by ambulance or by helicopter when available to centres in Cork or Dublin, delaying their transfer times and therefore causing them additional cardiac damage. In 2015 to 2018, HSE data showed that only 1.5% of patient transfers done in that period, which totaled over 300 patients, were being received at an alternative cardiac centre within the appropriate timeframe. This to me is unacceptable and I believe it should be unacceptable to every other member of the House. So I will not be voting in favour of any Taoiseach here this evening, but I do hope in the future to give support to a progressive programme of government. But I want to see that having equity and fairness at its heart and I want to see people, when they look at that programme, seeing themselves reflected in terms of the challenges that we face in education, in housing, in healthcare and in homelessness. And I will do all I can to work with everybody in this house to achieve that. Thank you.
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