Waterford TDs clash over 24/7 cardiac care

Minister of State Mary Butler said that weekend cardiac care at University Hospital Waterford is “due shortly” as she addressed concerns over “recycled” promises raised by Waterford TDs Shanahan and Cullinane in the Dáil.

“Promises have been made and recycled,” said Independent TD for Waterford, Matt Shanahan, speaking in the Dáil in the aftermath of the budget, “22,000 people marched in protest over the undelivered promise of 24/7 cardiac care in 2013. This issue is not new, nor is the frustration.”

Deputy Shanahan said: “The Taoiseach has a legacy here. As Minister for Health in 2016, he commissioned the Herity report, a document so riddled with errors that the word 'clinical' was misspelled on the front page. It was hastily thrown together, deliberately misinformed, marred by dodgy and incorrect data and is still used to shield inaction.

"When the flaws of that report became apparent, as Minister for Health in 2016 he commissioned the national review of specialist cardiac care services led by Philip Nolan. For the past six years we have been told to wait for that review. The report remains buried on the desk of the Minister for Health.

"Promises have been made and recycled.” 

Mr Shanahan claimed that the announcement of 24/7 cardiac care in the South East “played a role in [Fine Gael] regaining a seat in the election” and that Deputy Mary Butler was the “main beneficiary of that promise”.

“Last November on WLR's Damien Tiernan show, the Minister of State assured us that recruitment for a seven-day service would begin in January. In March, she had to return to assure us that recruitment would start in June. Again she returned and again nothing has happened. 

"The promises are repeated but the people of Waterford wait.” 

Similarly, Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane called on Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to “give an indication of whether [the government] commits to full 24/7” cardiac care in the South East, saying “there is still a question mark over whether there is a commitment to full 24/7 cardiac care”.

Waterford TD Mary Butler, Minister of State at the Department of Health, rebuffed her Déise colleagues in a statement, saying: “To say there has been no progress from the days of the 9am-5pm, five-day service is simply not credible.

“The second cath lab has been in place since 2023 at an investment of €7 million. Almost 24 staff were recruited last year, which has assisted greatly in the extension of services to 8am-8pm, Monday to Friday. Recruitment is now well underway for the weekend coverage, 8am-8pm seven days a week.

“The General Manager of UHW has advised me that the recruitment process is going well. There are just a couple of issues there in relation to the backfilling of posts for those who secured a job but are part of UHW, their post must be backfilled. We’re working through that at the moment.

"Our expectation was that we would see weekend coverage in place by the start of next month, but I am hesitant to give out timelines. Sometimes issues can arise which are no one’s fault, they are just issues which can occur as part of any recruitment process.

“24/7 is 100% cardiac care coverage. When we have this weekend service in place, and it is due shortly, the clinicians have advised me that we will be at 90-95% coverage of all cases. From there, it will take another final push at the Department of Health to reach the magic number of 100%.”