I am hugely pleased with the positive performance of Nenagh General Hospital, as lauded in the most recent Healthstat report, published earlier this week. Healthstat is a branch of the HSE that aims to provide up to date information on the performance standards of Irish hospitals. Their most recent report examines hospitals across the country, including Tipperary Hospitals.

Nenagh General Hospital was given a green light, the highest mark, for the three key areas of access, integration and resources.

These positive results secured by Nenagh General Hospital in the latest Healthstat report are a tribute to the staff and management of the hospital and serve as proof that the substantial investment package that was secured for the hospital was hugely successful and is continuing to pay dividends. During the period of the last Government I secured in excess of €4 million in funding for Nenagh General Hospital this was a key investment package that was aimed at modernising, specialising and focusing hospital resources. This investment included over €2 million for a state of the art endoscopy suite, a new sterile services department and two new lifts. All of these facilities have become fully operational with huge success. Indeed these new facilities have served to greatly increase the throughput of the hospital. In the past year alone the patient footfall through the hospital has increased by 40%. The on-going development of new surgical suites on site will continue to advance and improve services in the hospital.

The benefits of this investment package are now being reaped by the Hospital and the community. This funding was essential to upgrade the services available in Nenagh General Hospital and served to bring the hospital up to the most modern and advanced standards. By investing in the hospital its security into the future has now been cemented.

I would like to commend the management and staff of the hospital for their hard work and determination. The efficient management and operating of these new facilities is an essential factor in their success and is a tribute to their professionalism.

 I recently attended the meet and great held by the Centres for Independent Living in the Mansion house and has lauded the essential work done by the organisation.

I was pleased to be able to attend the event and to meet with representatives from the Tipperary centres. The Tipperary Centres for Independent living provide vital support and assistance for those living with a disability. Through their practical and understanding approach they aim to help all people live a fuller, more dynamic life and actively take steps to assist those living with disabilities to learn new skills, return to education, take up a hobby or secure employment. One of their key services is the provision of personal assistants to persons with a significant physical disability. This assistant is directly answerable to their leader, which is the person with the disability. Their role is customised to provide the maximum help to meet their leader’s specific needs, which can vary from providing transport, to household help, or assistance in college. Meeting with the group in Dublin reinforced the message that this service needs to be upheld and protected as a priority.

The reality is that the vital workings of personal assistants, and of CIL’s, have been hugely hampered by the cut backs imposed by this Government. In the past year this service has faced a dual attack in the form of a cut to vital funding from the HSE and the cuts to Community Employment schemes on which CIL rely to operate efficiently. In fact this sector has already borne the brunt of cuts having now suffered a cumulative cut to funding of 11%. For every personal assistant hour that is lost a disabled person essentially loses a degree of their freedom. On a daily basis people with disabilities are losing these services and are therefore being stripped of their independence, their rights and indeed the services that allow them to engage fully in society and in our community. The loss of personal assistance hours restricts the ability to leave home. Additionally it should be noted that without these supports those with disabilities are at a greater risk of poverty and exclusion.

The Government should be cognisant that these cut backs will have long term implications and will create further pressure on state resources into the future. If we cannot provide these aids in the home then those with a disability will be forced to avail of hospital and HSE services, therefore placing more pressure on an already strained system.

I find it incredible that in 2012 those with a disability must fight tooth and nail for their basic human rights. Whist I appreciate the difficult circumstances that the Government are currently operating in, it is unconscionable that budgetary measures should be allowed infringe on basic human rights. I believe that regard must be had, at all times, to protecting the most vulnerable in our society. This has not been done in this instance. To add insult to injury in December last Minister Joan Burton T.D. assured the CIL that personal assistants would be maintained with the support of her Department. This is another broken promise made by the Government to add to an ever growing list.

I am calling on the Government to urgently reverse these cuts to disability services. It is also of vital importance that the Government immediately ratify the UN Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities to cement and further to rights of those with a disability in our society.

It is my belief that the Government are failing to adequately tackle the on-going societal problems of personal insolvency and mortgage debt. A prime example of this is the on-going delay in bringing forward a final bill to tackle the growing problem of personal insolvency. This delay is unacceptable and is causing untold distress and concern to numerous individuals throughout the constituency and beyond.

It has been reported that the finalised personal insolvency bill which was due to be published by the end of this month is still being drafted and will now face a delay of a further two months, at least. The Heads of the Personal Insolvency Bill were published in January but to date there has been little visible furtherance of this Bill.

While I accept that this is a very complex and lengthy bill which raises a number of legal issues, I believe that this further delay is intolerable. The Department of Justice have stated that they need to ensure that the bill is correct and comprehensive and that this is one of the reasons for the delay. While I accept this point it must be stressed that the Government parties at the last general election assured the public that this issue was a priority matter and would be treated as such immediately after the election. Instead we are now in a situation whereby Fine Gael and Labour have been in power for over a year and as of yet we only have a draft bill and no completed legislation.

Essentially to date nothing has been done to help those who are struggling with personal insolvency. Whilst this Bill promises numerous debt settlement arrangements, the creation of a State run insolvency service, a cut to the bankruptcy period from 12 to 3 years, as well as numerous other measures these promises mean little until they become a reality. People are suffering while the government drags its heels on this matter. I have seen that myself, first hand, in meeting with constituents. Many people are crippled by the weight of debt and are under enormous stress due to the lack of help and support for their plight. Many have used up their financial reserves and are quite literally at breaking point.

This bill must be brought forward without further delay. While I have concerns that it does not go sufficiently far to help those facing insolvency it would be a welcome step forward and should be finalised and advanced without further delay.