The Portlaoise Hospital Action Committee has called on Charlie Flanagan to tell Minister for Health Simon Harris to ‘bin’ the report proposing the downgrade of the facility.
The committee say they appreciate the supportive comments made by the Minister and agree with his recommendation that Dr. O’Reilly’s leaked report should indeed be binned.
However, they are calling on him to pass on these comments to the Minister for Health Simon Harris.
Chairman Thomas Timmons said: “We are very aware that Susan O’Reilly does not have the power to bin or accept this report!
“It is not for her to reject the report. It is for the Minister for Health, Simon Harris to reject this report in its entirety.
“We respectfully ask Minister Flanagan to publicly direct his request to the Minister for Health.”
The committee secretary, John Hanniffy added: “We welcome Minster Flanagan’s confidence that the report will be rejected.
“However, we worry that a resolution which is merely ‘different’, will fail to definitively address the issues pertaining to the future development and funding of MRHP.”
The group also had a warning for Charlie Flanagan and Fine Gael if they fail to solve the Hospital crisis.
They said: “Minister Flanagan noted on Monday that he was pleased with the attendance at the Fine Gael meeting.
“We should make the Minister aware that the feeling on the ground, outside the Manor in Abbeyleix is that, what support Fine Gael had in the last election will be lost, unless the above appropriate resolution is reached.
“If as Minister Flanagan claims, O’Reilly’s plans are not shared by himself, are not shared by the Minister for Heath, Simon Harris or the government, then we expect an announcement very soon which outlines the resolution we proposed above.”
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