Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. My question was why only one MRI scanner was working. I presume, therefore, that the second scanner, which the Minister of State indicated was available, was broken on the day. The response did not answer that question but that is not the Minister of State's fault as he did not write it. He stated that one MRI scanner is owned by the UL Hospitals group and the second one is operated by Alliance Medical. Is that part of the insurance company? Does that mean it is a privately-owned scanner and that private patients get priority? As a public patient, I would find that appalling, as would many others who cannot afford private healthcare.

The response also stated that a tender was issued in November 2023 for a third scanner for the radiology department. I wonder why the hell it took so long. Last November the trolley crisis was still appalling and had been for years. Why did a tender only go out last November, meaning we will have to wait almost another year, if it is provided on time? There seem to be mountains made out of molehills at every turn in the HSE, especially when it comes to UHL.

The Minister of State said that GPs can refer patients directly to a community radiology diagnostics service. Is he referring to the primary healthcare centres or where is that service available? If it is available in the community, why are GPs sending people to accident and emergency departments? Are there not enough community radiology diagnostics services in the community? There is obviously something else going on there as well.

While I appreciate it is not the job of the Minister or Minister of State to manage UHL, there are serious questions still to be answered about what the hell is going on in that hospital.