Matt Shanahan Challenges Taoiseach on 24-7 Cardiac Care for South East
Matt Shanahan challenged the Taoiseach over delivery of 24-7 cardiac care for the South East, alleging recruitment and funding shortfalls and that commitments are being deliberately frustrated. He told the Dáil that no recruitment of cardiac technical personnel has taken place since 2018 and that accreditation requirements were blocking appointments.
Allegations on recruitment and funding
Shanahan said there has been no recruitment of cardiac technical personnel in the South East since 2018, no funding for cardiac expansion, and no increases in nursing or radiography positions. He argued that a medical accreditation request for a new cardiology post was unreasonable and compared it to asking a ministerial driver to provide Formula 1 racing experience, a requirement he said was designed to frustrate recruitment.
Response from the Taoiseach
The Taoiseach replied that funding had been provided and that policy decisions had been taken to expand the service, and said he would check the deputy's claims. He referenced recruitment of over four and a half thousand people this year and six thousand the previous year and committed to checking Department of Health and HSE records before returning to the deputy with clarification.
Claims of deliberate frustration
Shanahan accused the Taoiseach of inadvertently misleading the record on the Waterford cardiac programme and said he believed promises to the people of the South East to deliver 24-7 care were being deliberately frustrated. He asked what the Taoiseach planned to do about the situation and invited a correction of the record.
Next steps and follow-up
The Taoiseach undertook to verify the information provided by the Department of Health and the HSE and to respond further to the deputy. The exchange focuses attention on recruitment, accreditation and the timetable for delivering 24-7 cardiac services in the South East.
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Taoiseach, at Leader's questions on October 19th, I questioned you on your commitment to delivering 24-7 cardiac care to the South East region. You informed me then that recruitment was taking place to expand hours, that monies were being provided, that service expansion was happening and that the service could build towards 24-7. Further to parliamentary responses on these issues Taoiseach, I can confirm to you now that no recruitment of cardiac technical personnel has taken place since 2018. No funding with cardiac expansion has occurred, no increased nursing or radiography positions have been improved and in fact the medical accreditation has been requested for a new cardiology post are similar to asking a ministerial driver to provide Formula 1 racing experience, further designed to frustrate recruitment. Taoiseach, I believe your promises to the people of the South East to deliver 24-7 are being deliberately frustrated and I ask you what you plan to do about it. Taoiseach, I invite you also to correct the dial record, which I believe you have inadvertently misled. Taoiseach, on October 19th, that was in relation to the cardiac programme in Waterford, and I received information from the Department of Health and the HSE, which I did relate to you on that occasion. The funding has been provided, the policy decisions have been taken, and I will check on what the Deputy has said today and come back to the Deputy in respect of it. Because the policy decisions have been taken in respect of the expansion of the service and recruitment, and again, I will check that, well I'm just saying to you what is the case, I mean over four and a half thousand people have been recruited this year alone, and six thousand the previous year, but I'm going to check that, they should be. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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