'Government must honour commitment on MRI unit'

Local Fine Gael politicians will face the consequences at the ballot box if funding to construct a unit for an MRI scanner at Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar is delayed, the chairman of the Friends of Regional Hospital Mullingar has warned.

Fears are mounting that the planned expansion of the radiology department at the hospital, which would house a specialist unit for a new MRI scanner, will be one of projects to be shelved due to the funding over-run on the children’s hospital.

The HSE gave a commitment to the Friends of Regional Hospital Mullingar that if the group raised the €950,000 to purchase an MRI scanner, the health board would fund a specialist unit and staff.

Responding to a query in the Dáil last Tuesday from Deputy Robert Troy, Minister of State at the Department of Health Catherine Byrne refused to give assurances that funding for the unit would be included in the HSE capital funding programme for 2019.

“I cannot give him [Deputy Troy] a commitment that this project will be funded. We will have to wait for funding under the capital plan to be announced. At that stage, it will be obvious to everyone what plans will be going ahead. Regarding the issue of the national children’s hospital, I guarantee the house that projects will not be cancelled. I have heard that from the mouths of the taoiseach and the minister.

“Projects may have to be put back, but they certainly will not be cancelled.”

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner on Friday, the chairman of the Friends of Regional Hospital Mullingar John McGrath said that local efforts have already raised €900,000 and urged the government to “keep its promise”.

“A commitment was given that if the people of Longford and Westmeath raise the money for the machine they would build the building to house the scanner and fund the staff. We have kept our part of the deal and ask them to keep their side.”

Mr McGrath also noted that the local and European elections are coming up in May and urged local Fine Gael representatives to exert pressure on the government “to ensure that the promises made to us are delivered on”.

“...Be prepared to answer questions [about the unit] on people’s doors if the government doesn’t keep its promise to the people of Longford Westmeath.”

Deputy Troy told the Westmeath Examiner that he was disappointed with Minister Byrne’s “lacklustre response”.

“Almost all of the €950,000 has been raised and it’s not a small amount of money. This is a critical piece of infrastructure that’s needed in Mullingar. At the minute Mullingar hospital is sending adult patients to Tullamore and children to Dublin for MRI scans. It’s not something that can be put on the back burner. The government needs to ensure that the HSE honour its commitment to the people of Westmeath and Longford.”