TDs who left FF over cancer services reject offer to rejoin

THE TWO Sligo-North Leitrim TDs who resigned the Fianna Fáil party whip last month are said to have rejected overtures from Taoiseach Brian Cowen to rejoin the fold.

Jimmy Devins and Eamon Scanlon said they had no intention of reapplying unless their concerns about the transfer of local breast cancer services were addressed.

Mr Devins, a former junior health minister, said that if Mr Cowen and the Government wanted to reopen discussions on the issue of Sligo General Hospital, “I would be delighted to meet with them”.

Mr Scanlon said he felt “badly let down” by the party and was still very angry that people in the northwest were being denied services “which are available to everyone else in the country”.

Both men said they believed it was significant that four party TDs were outside the party fold on health issues and they questioned if this would have arisen if there was a Fianna Fáil minister for health, echoing a point made by Ned O’Keeffe TD in Athlone.

“It is significant,” said Mr Devins. “It is interesting that three of us have resigned the party whip on health issues and one has been expelled and I feel this situation would not have arisen if there was a Fianna Fáil minister for health.”

Wicklow TD Joe Behan resigned the whip last year in protest over cuts of the medical card for over-70-year-olds while Jim McDaid TD of Donegal North East, lost the party whip over the issue of the cervical cancer vaccine.

Mr Scanlon said that after repeatedly making the point for 18 months about the success rate of breast cancer treatment in Sligo hospital and the hardship being imposed on those forced to make rounds trips of up to 200 miles to Galway, he felt his arguments had been ignored.

“I sincerely believe that it’s outrageous that people who are sick with cancer have to travel 200 miles for radiotherapy and I am very disappointed that nobody listened to our viewpoint,” said Mr Scanlon.

He added that backbenchers got a weekly opportunity to raise issues with Ministers at parliamentary party meetings, “but unfortunately we don’t get that opportunity with the Minister for Health”.

Mr Devins said it was significant that 100 per cent of the party membership in the constituency had endorsed their stand at a Comhairle Dáil Ceanntair meeting last week.

“A motion supporting the action we took was unanimously supported by the membership,” he said.