'To hell or to Tullamore' - Leahy condemns 'gutless' closure of Offaly Midoc services

Offaly County Councillor and Renua Ireland leader, John Leady, has labelled the closure of Midoc services in Birr and Edenderry as "gutless and heartless."

"The closure of the Birr and Edenderry MIDOC services are another example of how this government and the HSE appear hell-bent on making the lives of working people impossible," Leahy said angrily.

The Renua Ireland leader continued: "The HSE and Simon Harris are gambling with the lives of children and the elderly to save money that will only be spent on more bureaucrats. Midoc is an essential service for parents of young children in particular and for the elderly."

SEE ALSO: HSE offer reason for Midoc closures in Birr and Edenderry

“Now, both are being told to go to hell or to Tullamore," he blasted.

"The closure of these critical services is another example of bureaucratic heartlessness. People do not get sick on a 9 to 5 basis Monday to Friday. And thanks to a mixture of stupidity and cruelty, the parents of a child with a fever will have to make critical medical decisions."

He called on the HSE to reverse what he called "a heartless and gutless decision which will cost more money than it saves and create more problems than it resolves."

“It is past time they also recognise that people from more areas than Tullamore are entitled to basic medical services. This is a cruel Scrooge-like decision which reveals just how divorced from ordinary people’s lives the HSE are. Under this government they are turning health-care into a fortress that no-one can access."

Mr Leahy also said that the main political parties have "a special responsibility to resolve this issue swiftly."

He added: "We will back Barry Cowen and Marcella Corcoran Kennedy to the hilt on this issue, but we expect results. Mr Cowen is a senior Fianna Fail frontbencher who will be negotiating a final budget whilst Ms Kennedy is a former Junior Minister."

“Restoring this service is a thorough test of their clout in Leinster House. We expect them to succeed and will have serious questions to ask if they fail," Leahy concluded.

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