The Chairperson of St Joseph’s Community Hospital Action Group has expressed his disappointment at the manner in which Minister Jim Daly’s ‘supposed’ visit to Donegal was managed and choreographed.
Fr John Joe Duffy said it is truly shocking that after years of campaigning for the long term future of services at St Joseph’s Community that the Minister in charge and responsible for Care of Older People chose only to give less than 20 hours notice of his visit, while at the same time giving an impression that they are working closely with us as a group.
He said “It is also regrettable that most of the Local Public Representatives, that most of the Donegal County Councillors of Stranorlar Municipal District and of other areas were not invited to this meeting.
“When it was mentioned on Monday afternoon at the council meeting in Lifford neither senior officals present or councillors were unaware of a ministerial visit or that a room had been booked in the County House for a meeting on Tuesday morning.”
He added that this is a Government that operates on a system of organizing itself on a last minute dot com (last-minute.com) basis, ducking and diving while all the time avoiding the real issues that face the people that they supposedly represent.
He continued “The total lack of consultation and advance notice makes one think or even ask the question how genuinely motivated are they in working with us as an Action Group to secure the future of services at St Joseph’s Community Hospital and to further guarantee the Residential Care Unit, Dementia care unit and short stay beds at our Community Hospital.
“We on the Action Group have communicated directly with Minister Daly advising him that we will meet with him at any time and at any location providing we get a reasonable degree of notice, we have also in addition reissued our request to Minister Joe Mc Hugh our need to meet with him on the matter of St Joseph’s Hospital.”
Fr Duffy claimed it is plainly apparent to everyone from recent replies to various Dáil questions placed by different Donegal TD’s that different information is being provided on the record of the Dáil is greatly at odds with the political spin is being touted out within the county.
He said “It’s one spin story for Donegal while within the record of the Dáil it is a totally different story bearing in mind that PQ replied in the Dáil are relied by officials as opposed to political spin units. It is this complete contradiction of stories that has left us with little confidence in the handling of this issue by the present Government Ministers.
“Notwithstanding the facts of the plethora of fake news announcements, false grant announcements of millions of grant aid, even Minister Daly talking ineptly on a local radio station about works being carried out at the Hospital – that have never ever even started since.”
He added that it has been confirmed by both the HSE, Department of Health that no major capital works are to be carried out at the Hospital under the current capital plan 2016 to 2020, which is in keeping with the proposals of the original Lynch Plan, that no capital would be provided for the Community Hospital within the lifetime of the Capital Plan.
“So, in essence, we have had 3 years and more of absolute spin, and fake news whereby we were misled time and time again,” he added.
He said the late invitation is another sample of how this Government treats the ordinary people, who on a voluntary basis are working to better represent the people of their areas – than they as a Government are currently doing.
Fr Duffy added “We remain committed to fighting for St Joseph’s Community Hospital and our campaign will out survive many Ministers and Government if that needs to be the case – we are here for the long haul and we will prevail.”
