Mattie McGrath Blasts HSE Response, Defends Local Hospitals

I am delighted that Minister Butler is here, because you might let me rest lightly on another issue, but, Minister, I want to first of all thank the weakest go-alterns, Ir Hinnador, Breen O'Donnell and Marie and Valerie in our office and our support team for bringing this comprehensive motion forward. And I make no apologies for it. They didn't do it. They did our input and oversight. We take responsibility of what is in it. I will take no lecture from the Labour Party or indeed from Social Democrats. about our motion. And I thank the wise words of Deputy Connolly and Deputy Connolly for being so mild and being so accurate and so praise for David. And we are entitled to bring it forward and deal with it in our own time. And they have plenty of time to bring it forward too. But the Labour Party have an obsession. An obsession. Our former Minister thinks he's still Minister, our Taoiseach, Robocop, AYK, Deputy Alan Kelly. And he lectures all about masks. And then he goes on the loose without a mask. He's so mad to lecture. And Deputy Duncan Smith. They cut the widow's pension. They cut the women's pension. And they never have forgiven for it. I think their anger and anxiety is about the 3% are languishing in the polls under Deputy Kelly. I'll say no more, but we have a right and thank you for protecting the rights. Always count Crowley to defend here. First of all, again, to praise the Gardner Street corner, the frontline services. And not clapping in the back. And the community groups who have risen up and did so much. And the community Gardner in my own area in CAIR and Tormel and Sargent Ray Maloney and Sargent Keanu Regan. And all the community people. The response they made the first time, the second time. And doing it now again. And they do it next year. When they have to. And they always do. But the response of the HSE, unfortunately. And the Department of Health. Which is dysfunctional at best. And is ignorant of the views of politicians and doesn't want to know it. And the whole matter can lap it up. Because he's set him up. And he's failed ever since to disband him. Out of control. Totally. No respect for politicians. We saw that recently when it happened in CAIR during the week. And no respect whatsoever. So he can, you know what I mean, he can wax in it. The whole situation has been handled idiotically and indeed illogically. And it's from start to finish. And I could go from my own county of Skina Rinca right down to CAIR. And now up to Ross Quay. So in the middle of it. But the HSE are doing things down in the middle of it. And the Department of Health. That they want to do for a long time. That's disband and close all the rural and small hospitals. All our deputies. And I thank them for the contribution and support. I mentioned what's been happening to their constituencies. But we're under some sustained attack. And first I want to wish Mr Butler and her husband. I didn't realise yesterday he's not well at them. I wish him well on a personal level. Of course I do. And I wouldn't want to say anything that would hurt them. Our offence. But to take away our service and say Bridges Hospital in CAIR. And the Minister will go on the radio. In Maggie Taxer like talk. Out. Out. It's finished. Gone. God we heard that before from people. Now where are they now. And then to attack Ross Quay. At the other end of the county. The Dean Maxwell at home went into the meeting yesterday. With senior officials in the HSE. And to say they were rude. And they were disrespectful minister who was in the meeting as well. To our public reps. That just this is happening. It's going to be closed. It's a long stay. And I want to support Michael Smith there. Council Michael Smith. And ask the Minister here. And Minister Donny. To meet with Councillor Michael Smith. And the committee. Regarding Dean Maxwell. A wonderful place. A wonderful home. In Ross Quay. I want to ask you minister. And Minister Donny. To meet with Councillor Kean Buck. Councillor Dini Dunne. Eddie Reid. And Catherine. And the nursing staff. And the doctors. Associated with that wonderful institution. Of St Bridges and Carrick and Shure. It has to remain open. And you can't blame Covid. Or Chernobyl. Or any issue like that. That suits you. To put a cloud over things. And take away a service. That has served so many people. In your county. As well as my minister. So please. I want a commitment. That you meet those people. And listen to them. And listen to them. Now. As regards the logical. And whatever goes on. We have farm inspections. Yes. They carried on. In abeyance. In abeyance. Hill sheep farmers are expected to round up sheep. Whether they have 500. Or 5,000. Or 15,000. When we want to get information from departments. It's so slow now. And I support the staff. And social welfare. And all departments try to help. But if you want any schemes. And all. It's very slow. And departments especially. They're out. They're working from home. But they can go on farms. And inspect. I said all the time. Use technology. Use drones. So look. That has to be respected. Support the families. Support the communities. Is what we need. I also want to say that I'm. As I said. Teachers in schools. And classes of 30. And I have an email there from a teacher. I can read it to you. Her son is a type 2 diabetic. And he's had to get influes three times in the last month. With open windows in schools. And we're forcing the schools. And what happened to the teacher in Claremontis. Is not in charge of intimidation. And what happened. You know. With the priest in Cavan. Not in charge of intimidation. The guy. They have to do their job. Yes. But where's the means of doing it. And who said it. Honey is better than the vinegar. Of course it is. And talk to people. And then after the call to Caleb. Bring him with you. And that's why you have failed spectacularly. And that's why we're calling across this motion. To, to, to, to, to, to, to. The money's been thrown at problems. But it's not reaching the right people. Just on mental health. My figures were questioned. And I want to thank Breen who did the research. And the Department of Health figures. The Department of Health funding. Advocated to mental health. In recent years. Ranged from 5.7% to 6.3%. This is your Department of Minister. While in 2019. It was 6.3%. But we've. But we fall dramatically. To 5.2% in 2021. Department of Health figures. From Deputy Duncan Smith. If he wants to know. And, and whoever else questioned it. Department figures. It's Minister's own figures. And she's Minister of Mental Health. And we know the crisis that are there. Already. And we have the problem with St. Michael's. And our, our beds that we need. Back to Tipperary Minister. So we have. On three fronts. We are, you're, you're, you're around. You're, the, the, the, the, the, the, the Department of Health. Are attacking us. In Tipperary. And Tipperary are proud people. As I said before. They'll rise up in the spirit of kicking. They'll rise up in the spirit of Dan Breen. John O'Krasik. And indeed, our footballer that died in, in, in, in, in, in Bloody Sunday in, in Crow Park. Uh, Michael Hogan. And we'll do that. We're not going to take this kicking off the hate. They're kicking off the hate to see unelected, unaccountable, uh, mandarins. As I said as well, the PCR tests. All the time I have said the PCR tests. They have, they have, they have evidence there that they're not accurate. Why have you touched his spite against the antigen tests? And then to have a publican that, do, do his best to keep his pub going. Keep the COVID free with antigen tests. And he, he, to be arrested. I don't know what's going on. And what's going on. And we're, we're, we're creating a time without fear. And it's back to days in Russia and communist countries. That's what it is. Don't talk to people. Don't engage. Don't crowd. And I don't want anyone to crowd. I want to expect hygiene and people to be careful and mind their elderly. But you put people with COVID into the nursing homes and cause the spread of it. You still have a problem with nursing homes. I want to salute every nursing home to get the efforts they have made to keep it out. But you put them in. The Department of Health and HCC put people with COVID in there. It's a war crime. It's war trials in the Hague. It should be brought for war crimes against humanity. That's what should be done with the ministers at Harris and indeed Donnelly and his officials. Put people with COVID in there. But there's no resources left. Abandoned them. Many cases of it. So as well as that, I want to also say to, I want to also say to, as I said, the, the guarantee of efforts have been made. I have been raised many years here. And thankfully we walked through some of them and dancing. Then Dina Green-Carrie should tip her down. We can dance again. Come next we'll be able to do a real few. Won't have lost all the talents. The magicians have been vilified and petrified. And the funding hasn't got down to them. Big funding has got the big, big bands. And multiple, there's lots of funding to some cases. That's described as doing the adaptations and the grant education forms. Hadn't got down to the only man in the band. I have my tip really well that's paid for. You have them as well. Hadn't seen characters you. You know them well, Minister. I have Fran and Muriel. And I have indeed Trudy Lara who entertained us on the day. There are countless. Willie Bunn, you name them. They're there. Paul Lafford. Brilliant people. But they have all been denied the right to work. So we haven't the right to work. So this motion, as we brought forward here today, was an attempt by us to have a proper debate. We have no debate on the vaccines. None. We have a small bit of a debate this evening. We look for extra time. Our group will have six minutes. Our group gave about two hours today to this series motion that has such a wide impact. Across a wide range of societies. And we're looking for multidisciplinary strategies for an exit. We will keep the businesses going. The publicans have been vilified and destroyed. Small pubs. The horrible name. And when I asked board for the task committee, they said they didn't give them the name. I asked them who came up with the nine-year-old move. They said they didn't. So who's cutting who? It's the case of around the kitchen and mind the dresser. And we won't get the truth. We have to get the truth. None of our people in the rural independence, myself included, are anti-vaccine. We have huge concerns about the lack of debate and transparency. We saw that yesterday. We haven't got any sign of a scheme to support people who, and they do with all vaccines, have repercussions and get ill. And that hasn't been discussed. The minister said yesterday, or the Taoiseach, that he discussed with the cabinet and looked on some report. Why isn't that there? Why is there not a push, push, push, push? And how dare Deputy Adam Kelly, taking it upon himself, taking your job, I'd say, to write to all of us. Put it in our pigeonholes, if you wouldn't mind, to the man that we sign up to his vaccine policy. I wonder, has he invested interest in the vaccine policies? He must have something, because the everyday gets up here and he's talking about nothing on his vaccine. He needs some kind of injection to get him off that topic and look after the people of Tipperary. That's what he needs. How dare the cheek of him, the arrogance of him. I didn't reply to Rob Warren to be intimidated or bullied by any other TD in the House. It's a free, democratic country we live in. And we make up our minds with advice about doctors and consultants and specialists. I won't deny any issues myself. But for my fucking score, Count Cawler, I want to say that we must bring the people with us. And we haven't. We've left them behind, as I said to the Republicans. The people denied to go to Mass. The people denied, you know, their rights. And I said to the school children, blown out the window, and the department to bully that teacher to open up again. The teacher and board of management do a service to the people, and they decided to close the school because of fear. I'm saying to you, my minister. The marches will continue and carry on sure. It means they're about to meet that group. As I said, the Councillor Dunne and Councillor Burke and their teams. And above all the staff, Dr. Flanagan and the people there. Meet Councillor Michael Smith and his team for the wonderful Dean Maxwell in Tiptown. Stop this bullying and intimidation of wiping away our services with the HSE. They've been caught napping here. They've been unable to deliver and respond to this pandemic. They can't respond to the winter flu. The HSE in the department had lost 500,000 flu vaccines, and now they want to administer 8.5 million. I have no faith in them whatsoever. No faith in them. So we have a lot to shout out. We have a lot to get fixed up, minister. I wish you well in your stint in the department, but it takes some movement. They need to listen to the people. And the fact that they're unelected, unaccountable, is shocking. We're elected by the people for the time being. And I value that and respect the mandate. But these people, can they come in with decision just to leave them? Eight senior officials came into that meeting, the Zoom meeting. I struggled to get on with technology. But eight of them to tell us, sorry lads, it's over. You don't have any more. No, because they're better than Dean Maxwell. You saw this last week, and it went on way too then to insult to injury, to say that it's closed, it's gone, if you need it, forget it. You've gone putting diabetic services into it. There's a monstrosity of a primary health centre in front of a half empty. Put all the services right in there. Gave us back our wonderful hospitals in St. Bridges. Gave us access to our hospice beds. Those people have got excellent palliative care families. And we have a lift in the building. And we have showers in the building. It's not Dickensian. It's the olden town men and many other district hospitals in the country. Thank you very much, Deputy. Give it back to us. So listen, thanks everybody for speaking to the motion and supporting it. And I'm disappointed the government's counter motion is only waffle, as usual. And we're pushing this to a vote. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.