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14th February 2017 • Volume 24, Issue 05 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. K67 P5W4. • Tel: 01 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie • www.northcountyleader.ie
Reilly Calls For ‘Day Hospital’ For Swords Local Fine Gael senator and former Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly is calling on his party colleague, Minister Simon Harris to set about providing a Day Hospital in Swords. This, he maintains will take the pressure off major hospitals, where smaller medical procedures can be carried out in Swords. Dr Reilly’s judgement was called into question when, as Minister for Health, he was lambasted for adding Balbriggan to the list for Primary Care Centres. This furore almost toppled the Government and caused the loss of a junior minister in Roisin Shortall. However, with perfect vision provided by hindsight, the result of his far sighted judgement has seen the delivery of a world class Senator Dr. James Reilly Primary Care Centre, about to open soon in Balbriggan, which will have a profound effect on health service provision in the locality. Dr Reilly made his appeal for a day hospital for Swords, while addressing the Seanad last week on the problems facing the health service. He said, “Whilst we have terrible trouble now with waiting times and people on trolleys, they are influenced very much by what happens in primary care and early diagnosis and early intervention, which are critical,” he said. “Equally, what happens after treatment, in terms of facilities for people to return home. Most people want to go home. In that context, I want to raise the need for a day hospital in Swords to serve the needs for the people of North County Dublin. Both the Mater Hospital and Beaumont Hospital are large regional hospitals with national specialities and regional specialities and services. Very often, surgery has to be day surgery and places are taken up by acute admissions from the night before,” he said. “If we had a separate Day Hospital in Swords, which is accessible to over 100,000 people and beyond, many of these procedures can take place there, like hernias, gall bladder surgery, cataracts, plastic surgery etc. These are very successfully being carried out currently in places like Ennis, Louth County Hospital in Dundalk, Roscommon and Nenagh. I am calling on the Minister to give consideration to the provision of a day hospital for Swords and hopefully he can come in to the Seanad at some time to discuss this proposal at length,” concluded Reilly.
Skerries man, Fergal Butler is a remarkable man by any stretch of the imagination. Not only is he the full-time carer for his wife, Lynda who is an MS sufferer and his son Kyle (15), who has cerebral palsy, he is in the process of renovating a 35 foot cabin cruiser. His main motivation for renovating the boat, is that it can be used by the entire family for holidays on the River Shannon.
obvious that Fergal is a man of outstanding skills. There is a fitted hoist to lift Kyle into bed, as well as all areas being accessible for Lynda to negotiate. All electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, painting and engine work have been expertly completed by Fergal. He told the County Leader about how his passion for restoring boats began. “I started building small wooden boats that could fit into my back garden. It helped me look after By Patrick Finnegan Lynda Butler is pictured with her my young son, Kyle, where I could Fergal, who is a handyman extra- husband Fergal during a break from work there and pop in and out of ordinaire, having recently won the renovation work. the house as needed. The plan was All-Ireland Arro sponsored King of to sell them on and eventually buy a DIY in a facebook competition, has no formal training cruiser and adapt it. Unfortunately one of the boats in any of the skills required to undertake such an sank, but another one is on display at Wineport Lodge undertaking. Undeterred, multi-talented Fergal set on Lough Ree, which is used by them for weddings about retrieving the cruiser, which was sunk in the and photo shoots.” Jolly Mariner Marina in Athlone. Fergal set about Fergal started work on the new cruiser last May and he retrieving the stricken boat, with one particular goal in intends to have it completed by April or May this year. mind. He was determined to make his dream boat It will be used primarily for holidays on the Shannon. totally wheelchair accessible for the other dream boat Lynda, who also hails from Skerries, said, “I really feel in his life, Lynda and his son, Kyle. He believes that it excited about this venture because it’s going to give will be the only fully wheelchair accessible cabin our family the freedom that we never had to go on cruiser in the country. From the moment you come on holidays together, to be on holidays and enjoy life board the beautifully and lovingly restored cruiser, it is together,” she said.
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