Cabinet Committees
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-24
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

I appreciate that he will be pursuing and advocating on behalf of them. On the 24-7 cardiac care, I will have to go back with the Minister. The commitment is there. I remember it going through Cabinet last year. We were told by clinicians for a long time and all the expert groups that it could not be done. Now it can be done, following the reviews, and I am determined that we pursue it and fulfil it. There has been progress made in terms of extension of the cover and all that. The commitment has been made and we will pursue that.
I jumped ahead there. Deputy Michael Cahill is saying there needs to be a stand-alone unit for Kerry hospital in Tralee. Again I would support that. I think there is a project in train there, as the Deputy articulated. I will talk to the Minister in respect of that. I want to join with the Deputy in expressing sympathy to the family of Brian Sugrue, who I met myself and knew. He was a very strong advocate for such a unit in Kerry hospital. I know he was a very close friend and confidante of Deputy Cahill. We sympathise with the Deputy too on his loss and the loss in the area.
If Deputy Ó Murchú could give me an extended note on that case, email it to me or whatever, it is an interesting case. I am very interested in finding out examples of where we are not looking after those in the deaf community or the visually impaired community. These are very serious, lifelong disabilities, to lose your sight or to lose hearing. I think we can do better, particularly on the employment front. It is great that this couple are working. The Deputy is saying that the cost for them for the hearing aid is €5,800.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-24