Frontline services should be protected at all costs at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, the chairman of the Oireachtas health committee said today following a visit to the hospital and a briefing on its financial situation.
Seán Ó Fearghaíl, the Fianna Fáil chairman of the committee, said the committee would be making this point to the HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm when he appears before it next month.
"We realise that there has to be change, we realise that the movement is towards a combined paediatric centre at the Mater, we realise that there will naturally be some resistance to that, but we don't accept that there should be any reduction in frontline services for children in the intervening period", he added.
He said perhaps one individual should be given full responsibility by the HSE for paediatric services in the State, in the same way as Prof Tom Keane had been given responsibility for the cancer control programme.
Asked if he wanted the cuts already in place, including bed closures, reversed he said: "Well we want the HSE to manage the problems effectively and to manage them in a manner that ensures that frontline services are not impacted on".
If Prof Drumm could find savings elsewhere, the committee would suggest to him that he should, he added.
The committee members arrived at the hospital shortly before 11.30 am and after a briefing by the hospital board they toured the facility before departing around 2pm.
Mr Ó Fearghaíl said the health committee had learned "an awful lot" from the board of management and staff who met with them.
After the meeting the hospital issued a statement saying the committee was given a full briefing on the range and complexity of services provided in the hospital, the pressure on these services and the hospital's financial position
"The Board and staff of Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin appreciate the time and attention given by all of the members of the committee who attended today," it added.