New group to oppose closure of Wicklow A&E unit

‘SAVE LOUGHLINSTOWN A&E’ | CROSS-COMMUNITY ALLIANCE

BY MARK MOLONEY

Sinn Féin Councillors John Snell, Rossa Murray and John Brady

CAMPAIGNING Sinn Féin activists are at the forefront of a new cross-community group formed to oppose plans to close the 24-hour Accident & Emergency department at St Columcille’s Hospital, in Loughlinstown, County Wicklow.
Members of the new ‘Save Loughlinstown A&E’ group include Sinn Féin Councillors John Brady, Rossa Murray and John Snell, Fís Nua Councillor Pat Kavanagh and Bray Wanderers FC General Manager Jack O’Neill.
Local residents say the service provided at Loughlinstown hospital is critical to the needs of the people of Wicklow and south County Dublin with more than 21,000 people receiving treatment in the A&E department last year alone.
Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady said:
“There’s some bizarre spin out there which is trying to say that the closure of the 24-hour A&E will somehow lead to an improved service. How can that be?”
The cross-community group feels tha Wicklow’s TDs have let the people down, he said.
“Everyone in the group is disappointed with the stance they have taken, particularly the Labour Party. They have been very vocal in the past about upgrades of hospitals and retaining services – now they just seem to have rolled over.”
In July, hundreds of people attended protests across Wicklow as a Sinn Féin motion was being put before the Dáil calling on the Government to protect A&E facilities at hospitals across the state. The motion was voted down by Labour and Fine Gael. Notably absent from the two-day debate was Wicklow Labour TD Anne Ferris, who had previously pledged her support for the retention of A&E facilities.
John Brady said:
“The absence of Wicklow’s Anne Ferris at the crucial Dáil vote is really a slap in the face for all the people in Wicklow. People believed her and thought she was genuine when she said she wanted the decision to close the A&E in Loughlinstown reversed. Anne Ferris, like Fine Gael TD for Roscommon Denis Naughten, could have taken a stand for the people here in Wicklow as he did for the people of Roscommon and vote against the closure of the A&E. Unfortunately, she didn’t even turn up!
“The Government have attempted to say that the downgrading of services in Loughlinstown and moving the widely-used A&E to the already over-capacity St Vincent’s Hospital will lead to an improvement in services. This is complete nonsense. There are dozens of people lying on trolleys in St Vincent’s, if the A&E in Loughlinstown is downgraded and people are forced to travel to St Vincent’s, the numbers lying on trolleys will simply increase and compound the problems experienced in that hospital.”
The new campaign group has held a series of activist meetings across Wicklow over the past month and is planning a number of events and demonstrations.
You can contact the group through the Facebook page ‘Save Loughlinstown A&E’.