Minister of State and Donegal TD Joe McHugh has hit out at what he calls the ‘manufactured indignation’ of Opposition parties over the appointment of a Second Breast Surgeon at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Minister McHugh said Opposition TDs and Senators already knew that an appointment will be made shortly when they issued a statement today on the subject.
Minister McHugh said: “I am disappointed that Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil representatives in the county have chosen this issue to be kicked about like a political football when they are well aware of the stage at which this process is at.
“They know rightly that this process is nearing completion and an announcement is due shortly on the appointment and they are jumping up and down now with their false outrage and manufactured indignation.
“Not one of them has ever raised this issue with me in the past year. We meet regularly and I haven’t heard one word uttered.”
He added that his record for delivering for Donegal is clear for all to see saying there is no-one more concerned about the second breast surgeon than him.
“I have been in constant contact with the Chief Executive of the Saolta Hospital Group on this issue including today. The recruitment of a second breast surgeon at Letterkenny University Hospital has been a priority for me and I was given a commitment last year that the Saolta Group agreed with me.
“I am far from happy with the length of time this process has taken and I have made that clear to the Saolta Group. There is a series of checks and balances required before appointment in terms of issues like the number of patients and procedures.
“I am expecting a formal announcement in the very near future for a second breast surgeon based at LUH. My Oireachtas colleagues know this and they’d be much better off helping to deliver for the people of Donegal instead of just talking about it all the time.”
