A FIANNA Fáil TD has said he will quit politics if services are downgraded at Portiuncula Hospital in Galway.
East Galway TD Michael Kitt said if cutbacks designed to recoup the €91 million deficit in funding for services in the west impacted on Portiuncula, he would walk away from politics.
“The health and safety of the people of this area is the bottom line for me. For some report to come along and say that Portiuncula Hospital should be downgraded, I couldn’t accept that at all,” he said.
Mr Kitt, a former minister of state, said the hospital had already suffered higher cutbacks than others and he would speak to Taoiseach Brian Cowen if services were at risk.
His comments followed an announcement earlier this week by Independent TD Noel Grealish that he would withdraw his support for the Government over proposed health cuts in the west.
Mr Kitt said he would not threaten to withdraw support as Mr Grealish had done, but would quit politics altogether if services were downgraded at the hospital.
“I know savings have to be made, but not at the expense of the health and safety of the people in the area,” he said.
The HSE said earlier this month that it planned to reduce costs at the hospital in Ballinasloe by eliminating overtime, closing some wards and reducing theatre time.
Unions had expressed fears that services at Portiuncula would be downgraded and it could be closed.