As the people of Monaghan prepare for a second major protest next week over plans to remove acute services from their local hospital, a Fianna Fáil senator in the county claimed yesterday he had been assured by the Taoiseach's office that all services at the hospital would be retained.
Senator Francis O'Brien said he had been assured that existing services at the hospital would be retained, and possibly even added to.
However the Health Service Executive, now responsible for the day to day running of the HSE, said its plans to reconfigure services in the northeast remain in place.
Its chief executive, Prof Brendan Drumm, made it clear earlier this month, in a memo to senior staff, that he will not bow to pressure from politicians, lobby groups or vested interests in relation to controversial hospital reform plans in the run-up to the general election.
Senator O'Brien said he will not be a candidate for the next election and the assurances he received from the Taoiseach's office were "cast iron" and to the effect that Monaghan Hospital would not be downgraded any further at this point in time.