On Tuesday of this week we sent all forty councillors the following questions via email in relation to the Navan A&E situation, where the HSE propose to downgrade services.
TD’S have regularly had their say so we thought it might be interesting to hear what local politicians, who remember criticised the HSE for not meeting with them, had to say.
As you are aware the HSE have proposals in place which are currently being reviewed, that will see a downgrading of services at the A&E department of Our Lady’s hospital.
1; What is your position on this ?
2; Do you agree the HSE proposals should be followed through on ?
3; Do you intend attending this Friday’s protest march in Kells ?
4; Do you any other comment you wish to make
We gave each of them 48 hours to reply and advised we would publish their replies at 3 pm today below alongside their Municipal District we publish what responses we did get without any comment on our behalf.
No emails bounced back to us which indicates all were received
Kells;
Michael Gallagher (SF); ‘I am totally opposed to the downgrade of the A and E at Navan , this will impact on the health service that the people of Meath receive .
‘The HSE and the Minister of Health needs to to invest in the hospital to increase the number of acute beds at the hospital and bring it to a safe place for patients to be treated in hospital. The hospital has not received the proper investment by the present and past Governments for the last number of years.
‘With the inability of Drogheda,Cavan and the other adjoining hospitals to deliver a proper A and E service where the waiting the time is 24hours plus, where are the People expected to get A ans E Services. Navan hospital is the most important infrastructure in the County and we must do our best to save our A and E.
‘I will attend the protest on Friday and I am call everyone that can attend to be there to show the HSE that the people of Meath will not accept the closure of their A and E in Navan’.
Sean Drew (FF); ‘I am not in support of the HSE proposals that will see a downgrading of services at Navan Hospital A&E.
‘I have attended all previous SNH public march’s over recent years, however unfortunately am not attending on Friday as I will be at a family wedding.’
Navan;
Tommy Reilly (FF); ‘The decision to downgrade is a disgraceful one, you highlighted the experience of a family member of mine this week but I had been against the HSE proposals even before that,
‘As of today (Wednesday) it is my intention to be at Fridays protest.’
Eddie Fennessy (SF); ‘ Sinn Féin completely oppose the downgrading of Navan Hospital. We’ve campaigned for 20 years for increased investment and the retention of services.
‘ I will be at the protest in Kells on Friday
‘The HSE claim that Navan hospital is unsafe. The HSE removed numerous services from the hospital over a prolonged period of time. If the hospital is unsafe, it is unsafe by design. Meath’s population has grown exponentially over the past few decades. A removal of Critical Care Services places that population at risk.’
Alan Lawes (IND); ‘We need an A&E and a fully functional one at that, If the A&E goes then the public must ensure that the three government TD’s Helen McEntee, Thomas Byrne and Damien English go with it at the next election.
‘I expect to be in Kells on Friday and applaud the fact that the protests are now moving county wide.’
Emer Toibín (AONTU); ‘I will be attending tomorrow. I oppose the closure and will be leafleting estates in Navan umtil 9 tonight!'(Thursday)
Ashbourne;
Joe Bonner (Ind); ‘These proposals have to be challenged, the HSE decision has served as a wake up call to the public, I’m from Donegal originally and I can tell you if they tried downgrading Letterkenny A&E the whole county would be up in arms.
People from Ashbourne, Dunboyne, and Ratoath for example and also on the coast need to realise this is not just a Navan hospital it is a hospital for county Meath, the other hospitals that are meant to take the patients from Navan are at breaking point already so this has to be stopped.
‘It is my intention to be in Kells on Friday,’
Ratoath;
Damien O’Reilly (FF); ‘I do not agree with the HSE’s proposals to downgrade the services at the A&E department of Our Lady’s hospital.
‘I cannot make the protest march in Kells but I’ve attended all the Navan marches in recent years.
‘Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda are at breaking point and cannot take the additional capacity from Navan based on the Small HospitalsReport of 2013 by closing Navan A&E.
‘In 2022 Meath now has a population of 221,000. The baseline data for closing Navan A&E’s is clearly out of date!
‘Louths population has also grown to 139,000 putting additional pressures on Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.’
Gillian Toole (IND) ; ‘ The proposal is ill conceived. The reconfiguration of the hospital dates from 2013; the population of Meath has increased 12.9% [ 25,000] since 2016 & needs a well resourced County Hospital service. No cost/ benefit analysis of OLH has been considered nor carried out, despite commitments previously to build a Regional Hospital in Meath?!! Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital cannot cope as it is, let alone with extra patients transferring from Navan.
Trim;
Aisling Dempsey (FF); ‘I fully support the retention of all and any services at Navan Hospital.
‘However I feel the campaign should be much broader We have been promised and need the long promised regional hospital in Navan, to serve the whole north east region. That is what we deserve and should be campaigning for.
‘In June 2006, it was announced that a regional acute hospital was to be built to serve the northeast region following a report published by the HSE.
‘The location, Navan, was selected in 2008 following another report. At that time, the hospital was expected to be fully operational by 2015.
‘Then, as now, 5 local hospitals supply acute services to the north east region (Navan, Monaghan, Dundalk, Cavan, Drogheda). It was determined that small populations in each area meant and mean that full time, quality services cannot be provided at each centre and that a regional hospital is required.
‘It is a shame that a recommendation of this importance some 15 years later has not been acted upon.
‘With the Navan rail line now firmly back on the agenda and in the National Development Plan the new hospital makes more sense than ever.
‘This should be the focus of public outcry and the rally. Give the people of Meath and the North East the Regional Hospital they need and deserve.
‘The staff at Navan Hospital are working under impossible conditions and must be commended for their commitment and dedication.. They have and continue to service the needs of patients to the best of their ability with the resources to hand. They deserve more resources.
‘I cannot attend the rally in Kells on Friday and am attending our monthly Municipal District meeting in Trim.”
Noel French (FG) ‘ I want a safe hospital in Navan for the whole county, I hope tto get to Kells but we have a Trim MD meeting as well.’
WE WILL UPDATE YOU IF WE HEAR MORE FROM THE REMAINING COUNCILLORS
