Some 10,000 people marched in the streets of Navan to tell the Government not to close the accident and emergency department in Navan hospital. It is the most important piece of infrastructure in the county and closure of that department and the ICU during the Covid crisis, while there are 1 million people on hospital waiting lists and 11-hour waiting times in other accident and emergency departments in surrounding hospitals, would be an enormously dangerous act.

I have spoken to senior clinicians in the region and they agree it would be an enormously dangerous act. I understand the RCSI Hospital Group, which manages some of the surrounding hospitals, has been excluded from the decision making on our accident and emergency department. We have requested a meeting with the Minister for Health, Mr. Paul Reid and the Ireland East Hospital Group. None of them has come back to us to say they will meet and engage and we are now forced to picket the offices of the Ireland East Hospital Group next Tuesday in support of the hospital. Will the Taoiseach direct the HSE, the Minister and the Ireland East Hospital Group to meet us and stop the process of closing down the most important health facility we have in our county?

I am assured the HSE is clear that the transition of Navan hospital to a model two hospital is, first, driven by patient safety considerations but, above all, it is designed to improve the hospital's ability to meet the needs of its population and also the future vision for Navan hospital involves more, not fewer, services

Like Roscommon, Nenagh and Ennis and all the other accident and emergency departments that were closed around the country.

I suggest the Deputy visits Roscommon hospital. The feedback I have got from it in recent years is that the range of services is far better there now than was the case.

Deal with the issue.

That is very important. I said the Deputy should visit Roscommon. I know about the accident and emergency department. I have no issue with the Deputy asking for the HSE CEO to meet-----

The HSE and the Ireland East Hospital Group.

-----the Deputies in the area. I would appeal to the Deputy in this regard. I have been through 20 years of campaigns, which are not always about health outcomes, and other matters-----

The time is up.

When I ask for the meeting we should engage with-----

Will the Taoiseach talk to the RCSI Hospital Group also as it has a different view?

I will, yes.