In A Programme for a Partnership Government there is a commitment to safe, timely care for patients in a location as close to home as possible. Did the Minister for Health instruct senior officials of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, group to downgrade services at Cavan General Hospital? It is my understanding that consultants were informed that all complex medical procedures and trauma procedures are to stop there and that the hospital will essentially be turned into a day procedure hospital. All complex medical procedures are to be moved to Beaumont. Can the Taoiseach confirm that he has instructed that Cavan General Hospital be downgraded? Is he aware of that? Does he have any plans to invest in the emergency department? That will not be required if these plans are to be realised. Is the hospital being downgraded in favour of Beaumont hospital?

No such instruction was given. Cavan General Hospital is one of our best performing hospitals. I met the Deputy there when I opened a state-of-the-art CF unit. The hospital has a consistently low number of people on hospitals trollies - often it has none - and it does very well in terms of its elective waiting lists as well. I visited Monaghan hospital as well, which obviously works in tandem with Cavan General Hospital. I believe we can do an awful lot more there and that what was allowed to happen there in the past was a shame. The RCSI hospital group works as a group in terms of what services are best to deliver-----

Is it the case that no instruction was given to consultants last week?

No instruction was given by me to that effect, but I will follow up with the RCSI.