MacManus hits out at lack of progress on the delivery of an extension to Mayo University Hospital’s Emergency Department

The Sinn Féin MEP for Midlands North-West has hit out at successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael health ministers, stating they have failed the people of Mayo in the area of health. MacManus was critical of the lack of progress on the delivery of an extension to Mayo University Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED)

MEP MacManus said:

“The people in the west of Ireland have been let down by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael health ministers. One prime example of their failures in the area of health is the lack of progress in delivery of an extension to Mayo University Hospital’s Emergency Department.”

“A modular, prefab extension of the Emergency Dept at the Castlebar hospital was promised by government over ten years ago at this stage, and little progress has been made on this.”

“My Sinn Féin colleague, Rose Conway-Walsh has raised this issue countless times over the years, as this lack of progress is causing huge issues, as people are being left waiting in ambulances outside crowded emergency departments.”

“Sinn Féin would invest in health to deliver much-needed change. Indeed, in our alternative budget for 2024, we committed to a ‘Year 1’ investment of €1.3 billion in capacity, workforce training, and cutting the cost of healthcare.” 

MacManus concluded, “This issue is exemplary of a wider neglect of health services by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Every day when I meet people in county Mayo they tell me about hospital appointment waiting lists and how difficult it can be to get a GP. At the same time they see mismanagement of funds such as the escalation of the new National Children’s Hospital. Seeing that overspending in the capital whilst there’s a lack of progress on the delivery of an extension to Mayo University Hospital only adds to peoples’ annoyance.. I think that frustration is completely understandable. People are fed up of this government’s failures.”  ENDS