This article is from page 26 of the 2007-09-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 26 JPG
A KILRUSH town councillor has questioned central governments pri- orities when it comes to providing essential services to the people of west Clare.
Cllr Marian McMahon Jones (FG) said that by law the people of Kil- rush are entitled to a public lavatory, but a laboratory for the nearest acute hospital does not seem to be a neces- sity.
The Kilrush town councillor also questioned why a busy Accident and Emergency service and a mammog- raphy unit was not considered a ne-
cessity, when an under utilised public toilet was an essential requirement.
“You are entitled to a lavatory but not a laboratory,” she said.
Cllr McMahon Jones was compar- ing the stark realities of government policies that threatens 24-hour Ac- cident and Emergency Care at Ennis General Hospital and the closure of the busy laboratory at the hospital.
“You are not entitled to breast screening in Ennis because the government could not be bothered spending money on it,” she said.
In contrast a public toilet must be provided in Kilrush town, at a cost of €34,000, according to Cllr McMa-
hon Jones.
This public amenity is underused and brings in just €2,000 to the council coffers every year.
This is €32,000 of taxpayers mon- ey going down the toilet according to the annoyed councillor.
It is compulsory for the super loo to be provided by local authorities, whether or not it is covering its own cost when people spend a penny.
“We are entitled to a public toilet, paid for by the tax payers, but we are not entitled to a mammography unit paid for by the people of Clare, an A&E, a laboratory, or even a basic hospital,” she said.
“You will not have a hospital in 20 months time, but don’t worry you will have a toilet – at great expense to the taxpayer,” she warned.
Cllr McMahon Jones has been sup- ported by her council colleagues in her call for Minister for Health Mary Harney and CEO of the HSE Professor Brendan Drumm to be in- formed of the councils concerns at the withdrawal of breast screening services and laboratory facilities at Ennis General Hospital. A second letter, proposed by Cllr Deirdre Cul- ligan (Ind) is asking for clarification from Proff Drumm as to the future of A&E at the county hospital.