Today was an important day in the campaign to save our services in Louth County Hospital. We had a meeting of Louth County Hospital and I tabled the following emergency motion;
"That this Council rejects HSE plans, backed by the Minister for Health and Children and the Government to remove;
24 Hour A&E
Acute Medical Services
Intensive Care Unit
at Louth County Hospital in Dundalk.
This Council sees these plans as a threat to our health services and our communities. The C. Diff outbreak in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in drogheda demonstrates that it is not feasible to reduce 120 beds in Louth County Hospital to 33 step down beds.
This Council commends the approx 7,000 people who atted the torchlight rally at Market Square in Dundalk on the 12th November last week.
That Louth County Council also calls on the County Development Board, Louth Economic Forum and County Enterprise Board to publicly state that they oppose the closure of these essential services."
It was a simple motion. To the point. But not simple enough for a Fianna Fáil Councillor, Declan Breathnach. That Councillor once chaired a Health Board meeting that closed a Maternity Unit. He walked away from the HSE Forum when there was a fight to stop the TeamWorks Report. This morning, this example of trembling Fianna Fáilure told us he would not take part in a rally to save hospital services.
No surprise there then Declan. We have fought battles without you before. Much as we would like all councillors to defend the people's services, we will do it without you.
By the way, the motion was proposed by me, seconded by an Independent, mumbled about by a FGer but eventually was carried unanimously (including Frank Maher and James Carroll of FF). Declan Breathnach had already run away from the row.
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