I want to raise the matter of the change to the name of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital proposed by hospital management without any prior public consultation whatsoever. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital was founded and built by the Medical Missionaries of Mary.

The hospital build was funded by the people of Drogheda over many years through fundraising events and weekly door-to-door collections. The people are outraged by this proposed name change without any public consultation. The hospital manager has stated it was time for real change but surely it would be better to concentrate on and effect real change by curbing hospital waiting lists or providing a second badly-needed X-ray room. The people of Drogheda want to be consulted on this matter. They deserve to be consulted on it. Will the Taoiseach or the Minister for Health contact management at the hospital and ask them to engage in a public consultation process so that people can have a say on their hospital?

I call Deputies Fitzpatrick and Breathnach on the same matter. I ask them to be brief because we are running out of time.

On the verge of the Christmas celebrations, the HSE aims to dispose of the recognisable name of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The name was established through the legacy of its founder, Mother Mary Martin, a pioneer and an instigator of hospital and maternity services in the north east. Changing the name of the hospital revokes the legacy and vision of its founder and her achievements in providing maternity services where none existed previously.

This unnecessary box-ticking exercise - stripping away heritage and culture - has been railroaded through without any consultation with the people of Drogheda and Louth. This attempt to whitewash a legacy could begin a journey down a slippery slope to get rid of more historical names, objects and landmarks that somehow offend or are not seen as progressive. Names are powerful and they have meanings. They are a link to past generations and our culture, honour and history. This hospital was named by Mother Mary Martin in honour of Our Blessed Lady and should remain so in honour of Mother Mary Martin and the community that helped to build, run and maintain Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

I will not delay the business of the House other than to say that I fully concur with the sentiments expressed by the previous two speakers. I was acutely involved in the old regime of the health board and directly involved in the purchase of the hospital when it came into State ownership. It is wrong to try to disrespect the legacy of those who founded the hospital and the investment made in it, not to mention the fact that locally it is called the Lourdes hospital, and I see nothing wrong with that as that is the heritage and the history. To suggest we would rename the hospital and spend millions of euro on that - we will be told it will not cost much but a significant cost is involved when there is a change in the paperwork, signage and so on - is ridiculous. It is incumbent on both the Minister for Health and the Taoiseach to call a halt to any suggestion made in respect of this hospital. What is proposed is nothing short of a disgrace.

There is nothing in the programme for Government or in legislation on this matter but I appreciate that it is an issue of great concern to the Deputies from County Louth. No matter what the name of the hospital is officially, it will always be the Lourdes hospital for people in Drogheda. I agree that it would be appropriate for management to consult with local representatives and the community before making any change. A change does not require Government approval but it is a hospital that serves a community and it is only right that the community should be involved in any decision to change the name.