Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald Niall Carson/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Sinn Féin is supporting the abolition of the 'elite and out of touch' Seanad

The party’s opposition will come as a surprise given it opposed the legislation which gave effect to a referendum on the abolition of the upper house.

SINN FÉIN WILL support the abolition of the Seanad, the party has confirmed this morning in a surprise move.

Spokesperson on finance, Pearse Doherty, has said the upper house is “elite and out of touch” and is “accountable to nobody”.

“More than 99 percent of the population have no say in who gets elected to the Seanad. The government has an inbuilt majority, so instead of holding Fine Gael and Labour to account, the Seanad rubber stamps government policy,” he said today.

The party will campaign for a Yes vote prior to the vote on 4 October, though Doherty criticised the government for not referring the issue to the Constitutional Convention for discussion prior to passing legislation recently.

He said that the Seanad has supported the government on “every single occasion” for the past two years and said his party will launch his campaign for abolition in the coming weeks.

The decision to support the referendum – and the position of the government – will come as a surprise to many observers with Sinn Féin having been an ardent critic of many government policies in the last two years.

It will be all the more surprising given the party opposed the passage of the legislation giving effect to the referendum in the Dáil and Seanad in recent weeks.

Sinn Féin currently has three senators: David Cullinane, Kathryn Reilly and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.

Read: Government confirms date for Seanad and Court of Appeal referenda

Read: Senator claiming he was offered holiday to skip Seanad vote won’t pursue matter

Video: David Norris accuses Fine Gael TD of ‘speaking out of her f***y’

Richard Bruton: The Seanad is a luxury we can no longer afford

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
169 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute neo1
    Favourite neo1
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 2:40 PM

    6 hours you’d be doing well

    161
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ray James Franco Browne
    Favourite Ray James Franco Browne
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 2:48 PM

    @neo1: think they misjudged it, you’re lucky to be seen by triage in that time.

    78
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Honeybee
    Favourite Honeybee
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:27 PM

    @Ray James Franco Browne:
    Indeed or to have found a parking spot, a wait up to 13 hours in Tallaght hospital in our case.

    38
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Misanthrope
    Favourite Misanthrope
    Report
    Dec 12th 2017, 5:42 AM

    @neo1: spent 11 and 14 hours in A&E in Tralee “University” hospital a few yrs back. Probably towards the extreme end(I hope) , most likely worse now.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fergus Sheahan
    Favourite Fergus Sheahan
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 2:52 PM

    If people used accident and emergencies for accident and emergencies then this would reduce dramatically, having a sore leg and not feeling well then go to the doctor if something is broken, heavily bleeding or you are fantastically sick then it’s the A&E for you

    140
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lily
    Favourite Lily
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:13 PM

    @Fergus Sheahan: phoned up the out of ours doctor and was told to go to the hospital as my daughter would need to see a plastic surgeon. The waiting time was 8 hours. The out of hours doctor was a 3 hour wait. Funny thing though he was very indecisive, had little English and wasn’t that helpful but he did glue the 4cm gash to her head. He was really rough and He had no beside manner (due to lack of English?) he was wearing jeans and high tops, which I found odd as in my 37 years I’ve never been treated by a doctor dressed so casual.

    Her head is healing and she will have a scar. But I can’t say an 8 hour wait in a&e would have better results.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fergus Sheahan
    Favourite Fergus Sheahan
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:31 PM

    @Jayo Breathneach: I’m sure it would but that eats into time too, If you go to the A&E today at least half the people there have no business in A&E and they clog the system up, no amount of money the Government throw at the HSE will change that. People with nothing better to do clog up the system for those in need

    29
    See 5 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fergus Sheahan
    Favourite Fergus Sheahan
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:39 PM

    @Lily: I was at an out of hours doctor for stitches and broken nose a few years back and it did have more in common with a vet than a doctors office! I had gone to the hospital first but the wait time was 6 hours. this wasn’t the hospitals fault or the HSE the A&E was full of people that were walking around and you wouldn’t know what was wrong with them. People in an A&E should be in pain or sick but we don’t use it correctly…I had a crooked nose now so maybe i should have waited the 6 hours!

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute lavbeer
    Favourite lavbeer
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 4:58 PM

    @Fergus Sheahan: a useful survey would be asking if they went for primary care first. Amongst other questions

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gillian Weir Scully
    Favourite Gillian Weir Scully
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 4:59 PM

    @Fergus Sheahan: Agreed and medication comes with paper telling you of all the pitfalls of the medication you are taking. If you have a prescription the pharmacist in telling you what is what.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lily
    Favourite Lily
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 5:04 PM

    @Fergus Sheahan: my same girl broke her nose years ago and we went to a small a&e they did an X-ray and said it was fine 3 days later I get a letter to say an senior consultant saw the X-ray and it was broken and booked her in for corrective surgery for 1.5 weeks latter.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mirabelle Stonegate
    Favourite Mirabelle Stonegate
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 7:36 PM

    @Fergus Sheahan: For minor breaks, go to a minor injury clinic! 2016, during the really icy week that january, i broke my wrist on the friday. all A&Es in cork had shut by then (8.20am) because of a 24hr backlog due to the number of injuries from ice.. i got sent to the mercy urgent care centre on the north side, and it was a fantastic experience.

    i was expecting to be there well into the evening, after getting there around midday (gp appointment at 10.30, earliest they had, then stopped in for food with my dad, and to book a taxi to the centre as we didn’t know where it was). i was in and out in an hour and a half! cast and x-rays sorted. they had a huge number of people going through, but because they were only focusing on minor stuff, the wait wasn’t as bad!

    i’d go again for a similar problem, personally!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Franklin Roosevelt
    Favourite Franklin Roosevelt
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 2:57 PM

    Imagine that.

    When you vote a right wing party into power that focuses on cutting spending on healthcare, the quality of our healthcare system suffers.

    58
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nick Allen
    Favourite Nick Allen
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:37 PM

    @Franklin Roosevelt:

    Yeah, just look at Venezuela, the dream is there for the taking if we would only vote for SF and Solidarity

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Franklin Roosevelt
    Favourite Franklin Roosevelt
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:41 PM

    @Nick Allen: Venezuela has a top marginal rate of tax of 34%.

    I assume you were trying to have a dig at socialism there? Poor attempt, 1/10.

    Anyway, how’s that amazing capitalism working out over in India?

    They’ve been trying that for many centuries at this stage. I believe last time I read it, 58% of the population live on less than $3.10 a day.

    Calcutta is a wonderful capitalist country, you should visit it sometime :)

    32
    See 5 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John003
    Favourite John003
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:46 PM

    FG are not right wing they are to the left of British Labour party on most issues……..Only HSE managers believe more billions to the HSE will give better health service….HSE at present get €14 billion a year…When it got a billion more several years ago health service was worse

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nick Allen
    Favourite Nick Allen
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:51 PM

    @Franklin Roosevelt:

    I didn’t know there was a country called Calcutta, I must check it out.

    You do realise that quoting how much people live on a day is meaningless without also saying the average cost of living???

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Franklin Roosevelt
    Favourite Franklin Roosevelt
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 4:12 PM

    @Nick Allen: Calcutta is a city in a capitalist country that I mentioned.

    It may be one of the most disease infested, poverty stricken cities on the planet.

    The free market hasn’t done a damn thing for them.

    Or would you prefer I talk about a capitalist state in the richest country in the history of the world?

    “Alabama has the worst poverty in the developed world, says UN official”

    http://www.newsweek.com/alabama-un-poverty-environmental-racism-743601

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute lavbeer
    Favourite lavbeer
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 4:56 PM

    @Franklin Roosevelt: the same government that has high levies on private health insurance and gives medical cards and free care to almost 40% of the country. That one?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Misanthrope
    Favourite Misanthrope
    Report
    Dec 12th 2017, 5:47 AM

    @Nick Allen: the choice is not neo liberal FFG or Venezuela. How about virtually every continental country?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ger Healy
    Favourite Ger Healy
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:14 PM

    So, 6 hour wait is becoming best practice.
    Appalling management.
    Guarantee, managers or their families don’t wait that long.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thomas Blackcat
    Favourite Thomas Blackcat
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 2:39 PM

    Worst in the EU….

    65
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip Kavanagh
    Favourite Philip Kavanagh
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 8:18 PM

    @Thomas Blackcat: Based on what? Your sources please.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Misanthrope
    Favourite Misanthrope
    Report
    Dec 12th 2017, 5:48 AM

    @Philip Kavanagh: our health system has been rated 31 of 32 developed countries ahead of Bulgaria. An OECD study I believe.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Annmoore
    Favourite Annmoore
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:26 PM

    Where is the money being spent they get more and more money every year – is it spent on managers ?

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Murphy
    Favourite Paul Murphy
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:50 PM

    @Annmoore: I’m a department manager in the HSE. Non clinical. I have sixty persons working for me on 15% less than I was in 2009. If you do find out what managers are getting it give me a shout!!!.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lovely Man
    Favourite Lovely Man
    Report
    Dec 13th 2017, 3:39 PM

    @Paul Murphy: What we do know about managers in the HSE is that manage to gift office and clinical space in PUBLIC hospitals for FREE or very nominal rent to private profit making health insurance companies. WTF?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Christy Pop
    Favourite Christy Pop
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 2:53 PM

    UNFORTUNATLY REAL; PEOPLE ARE DYING ON WAITING LIST,

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Disgruntled Doctor
    Favourite Disgruntled Doctor
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 2:50 PM

    Not good enough for the people of Ireland.
    The government should be ashamed and embarrassed

    49
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean @114
    Favourite Sean @114
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 5:40 PM

    @Disgruntled Doctor: successive governments should be ashamed and embarrassed. The opposition should be ashamed and embarrassed for not insisting upon an urgent cross-party strategy for addressing the A&E crisis. What is required to get a satisfactory level of throughput in A&E departments? Whatever is blocking the solution, remove it.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciara O Connor
    Favourite Ciara O Connor
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:15 PM

    I dislocated my thumb.went to and e in tralee uni hospital.was there for 12.they then xrayed my thumb and tried to push it back in.didnt work so I was finished by 1.10 with an app to see a specialist next morning.staff were all amazing.not on private insurance-have a medical card.where would you get that level of care and efficiency?

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nick Allen
    Favourite Nick Allen
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:39 PM

    @Ciara O Connor:

    Tralee ?

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dan
    Favourite Dan
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 3:57 PM

    @Ciara O Connor: in tralee around 12

    8
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciara O Connor
    Favourite Ciara O Connor
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 4:06 PM

    @Nick Allen: I know yeah-I kid you not.must have caught them on a good day

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Misanthrope
    Favourite Misanthrope
    Report
    Dec 12th 2017, 5:51 AM

    @Ciara O Connor: you clearly did. I had a wait of 11 + hrs on the two occasions I was there. After that I fell and split my lip. Gp wouldn’t stitch it as it was a “complex” wound. Told me to go to Tralee…got a tube of super glue and did it myself.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
    Favourite Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 5:29 PM

    Attended the brand new A&E in University Hospital Limerick recently with a family member with a suspected clot. Managed to see a doctor after 7 hours. Took a further 2 hours to receive treatment and get discharged. So demoralising!

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Lenehan
    Favourite Brian Lenehan
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 5:48 PM

    If only one could triage remotely (by video-call or phone- call) and be given a time to turn up to the ED. Many would sooner convalesce at home than in a waiting area.

    This wouldn’t be suitable for every scenario or ailment, but that’s the point. Up to Triage we’re treating all ailments as equals, which plainly they are not.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Lenehan
    Favourite Brian Lenehan
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 5:51 PM

    I know for certain that, if in a situation that required attendance to ED, if sooner wait at home knowing that I will definitely be seen to when I do present at my allocated time-slot, rather than sitting in a busy/noisy/inhospitable waiting area or within a busy ED where there’s loads of commotion and no idea at all as to when I’ll be seen.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute neuromancer
    Favourite neuromancer
    Report
    Dec 11th 2017, 8:48 PM

    It should be free if your waiting more than 2 hours. Some hospitals have shorter or longer wait times than others, and resources should be better utilized with regards waiting times.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
    Favourite Niall Ó Cofaigh
    Report
    Dec 29th 2017, 7:50 PM

    When assessed and removed by ambulance those emergencies get priority, After that the urgent cases are prioritised, I have to say that in my experience those waiting 6 hours to see a doctor are not in a life threatening situation, those that are are seen immediately.

    On one occasion (when referred by a GP) the triage nurse came out and explained that while things did not look busy outside inside they were dealing with three life threatening emergencies.

    Unfortunately we have the “walking wounded” and the “gp referred” and the true emergencies in the same queue and system and therefore there will always be delays in the system.

    That said however, if the backlog could be cleared it should remain cleared unless there are insufficient resources….

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      News in 60 seconds