Phoenix: Misogynist Micheál or Cork Micheál?

It’s a funny thing, but on an objective basis, Waterford issues aside, I always thought of Micheál Martin as a good Taoiseach and politician. 

That was of course until his completely skewed picks for cabinet, which yielded more grey faced, blue suited ministers named James than women. 

Did he even think? Of course he did. 

That avuncular smile and open demeanour masks an iron fist. 

His fobbing off of Waterford’s Mary Butler, who has been unfailingly loyal to Mr. Martin and to the Fianna Fáil party and who was widely admired for her Minister of State role in the last administration, was an inexcusable slight to her and to Waterford, and a highly deliberate act. 

Her appointment as Chief Whip does not compensate, as two SETU academics in last week’s paper explained, for his failure to appoint her to a full cabinet seat.

Mr. Martin is now in his last stint as Taoiseach. He knows, we know, they know that a seat at cabinet would have been a clear signal and indicator of priority for Waterford city and the many delayed projects and investments that it needs. 

What is Waterford to make of it? As this is being written, The Irish Times of Thursday, February 6, reports that “There is an expectation the Senate nominations will be used to appoint more women in the wake of the backlash over the gender make-up among ranks of new ministers.” 

This volte face is too late for us. The damage is done. We do not have the cabinet seat, which was widely expected for Waterford. 

The results of that flawed decision will be felt in this city as we enter a period of international instability.

What we really saw was not the act of Misogynist Micheál, Ireland’s Taoiseach, for I doubt very much he suffers from that syndrome, but rather of Cork Micheál. 

The man who stood in 2016 with Mary Butler outside UHW behind a poster saying “FF will deliver 24/7 cardiology to Waterford”. Has it happened? Do we have it nine years later? 

The second cath lab was authorised in 2018, that’s seven years ago. It’s in place, but the glacial foot-dragging over staff recruitment is a never-ending process. 

Perpetual slow walking interspersed with “announcements” is excruciating. 

Nearly a month ago in the latest release of “Cardiology in Waterford, a Never-ending Story” it was announced that emergency interventional cardiology would be available 8am-8pm, seven days a week. 

This was greeted with widespread relief and then was promptly unannounced. 

It has not happened. Do we not have the political influence to drive this over the line? Is the back story, as always, that nothing shall be done that might impinge on the Taoiseach’s Cork University Hospital?

The recent report from the Regional Heath Forum South lists HSE capital developments underway or promised in Waterford. 

Among them, were the extension of the UHW pathology laboratory and work at St Otteran’s hospital to refurbish part of that building for various community facilities. 

The latter has been completed and looks really well.

The former, which received planning permission in May 2022, is well underway. 

What is far more concerning is that a vital extension to the Out Patients Department (called the vertical OPD extension) to be built on top of the main hospital, which was granted planning permission in May 2022, seems to have stalled. 

It was deemed ready to go at a meeting in UHW of local Oireachtas members in February 2022 and was being priced with a contractor on site. 

The 2025 HSE National Service Plan specifically states that UHW is one of two hospitals (with Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda) likely to be most impacted by extra patient flow because of new trauma protocols for the acute hospital sector. 

A HIQA report on the UHW Emergency Department, April 18, 2023, stated: “UHW’s emergency department attendance rate in 2022 was 62,731 (10% increase on 2021 attendance rates). This equated to an average monthly attendance rate of 5,228 people and a daily average attendance rate of 172 people. UHW’s rate of attendance in 2022 (before the Wexford GH fire) was similar to attendance rates in Cork University Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and St Vincent’s University Hospital. UHW’s complement of consultants in emergency medicine and NCHDs were lean in comparison to other emergency departments inspected by HIQA. 

"At the time of inspection, hospital management was seeking approval and funding for an additional two consultants in emergency medicine, to bring the overall complement of consultants to eight. These two new consultants in emergency medicine were needed to meet the anticipated increase in demand for unscheduled and emergency care as a result of the reconfiguration of trauma care in the southeast region. 

"At the time of inspection, the request for two consultants in emergency medicine was being processed through the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee (CAAC).” 

The two extra consultants were not approved as per the CAAC reports for 2023 and 2024. Two were appointed in Drogheda. 

The Cork-based SSWHG long held sway over UHW. That’s now thankfully ceased. One would have to ask (again) about Cork political influence on slow-walking development at UHW. Micheál might be able to answer you. 

And, if anyone tells you that there has been an increase in staff and budget at UHW, tell them that the same (give or take a point) percentage increases were given to all acute hospitals in Ireland.

Anyway, on a Cork Road journey it was nice to see that redevelopment of the old glass factory offices is well underway. Sadly, there is still no sign of work starting on the long-promised engineering building at SETU. It was signed off by cabinet on December 11, 2024. 

Two months later, still no action. When government has built nothing at SETU Waterford for nearly 20 years, presumably they can get away with another shameful couple of months? 

Maybe Micheál is ensuring that progress at SETU will be slow-walked. He will not be Taoiseach by the time the building is complete at this rate. Someone (who?) should ask him in the Dáil! 

And, that word “lean” in the HIQA report could apply to every government function in Waterford. Take your pick and ask yourself why we did not get a cabinet minister!