There are only two of us raising this matter. Deputy Gallagher sends his apologies. He got called away yesterday. As the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, knows, the surgical hub is a key issue in Donegal. The hub has to be delivered in Letterkenny. It is not just a case of trying to ensure we have the resources in the county. We have heard from an unprecedented number of doctors, surgeons and consultants in Letterkenny hospital and they have told us that without the surgical hub there, they are at serious risk of losing accident and emergency services and maternity services within a short period. That is why they and all the politicians in Donegal have come together and made it very clear that we need to see a surgical hub delivered in Letterkenny. This would not be to the detriment of Sligo – we believe the north-west region has been left behind for far too long – but there has to be a location in Letterkenny. Last Friday, on local radio, we had the Minister for State, Deputy Harkin, who, as we know, was part of the grubby deal with Deputy Lowry to put this Government in place, stating on Highland Radio with Greg Hughes that she secured the location of the surgical hub in Sligo as part of that deal. That is news to us, the TDs who sat across the table from the Minister for about an hour and a half making the case for the surgical hub because the Minister will eventually be the person who decides on the location. It is news to us, having sat repeatedly in meetings with the HSE arguing the toss about why the surgical hub should be in Letterkenny. I am sure it was news to the 160-plus surgeons, consultants and doctors who signed the letter making very reasonable medical arguments for the locations. I want the Minister of State to come clean today. Has the Department ascertained whether there is any secret deal in respect of the location of this surgical hub? That clarity is needed. Has the Minister approached Deputy Marian Harkin to get clarity in this regard? I would like the Minister for Health to listen to the concerns of the TDs here. As I said, Deputy Gallagher would have liked to have been here as well. This is a cross-party issue because the issues in Donegal are so important. As I said to the Minister, if she makes the decision based on the facts, there is no doubt that the surgical hub will be located in Letterkenny. We need that decision urgently but, most importantly, we need the right decision.

Sentiment score: 0.13

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He says no decision has been made yet. Will he give clarity in his response? It is not just Deputy Harkin who has gone on local radio to say this; the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has also gone on and said she has secured this. We now have two Ministers of State who make up the formation of the Government saying it. Does one hand know what the other is doing? Has the Minister for Health or the Department clarified with Deputy Harkin whether a deal exists - as she claims - or not? Is this just the Minister of State suggesting that he has no knowledge of a deal within the Department? They are two different things. We would like clarification on that. Outside of a deal or not, this decision has to be made on the merits and the facts. As Deputy Mac Lochlainn has said, there is absolutely no way we are going to allow this to happen. The surgical hub not being delivered in Letterkenny is not just about resources not coming to Donegal. It is about the accident and emergency department closing down in the future, maternity services closing down and our hospital being downgraded. Those are not my words; they are the words of those on the front line. We will not accept it. That is why the Minister of Health must make the right decision on the basis of facts.

Sentiment score: 0.04