Tipp TD vows to make closure of Carrick hospital an election issue if necessary

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A Tipperary TD says the decision to end day care services at St Brigid’s Hospital in Carrick on Suir simply has to be reversed.

There has been ongoing opposition to the HSE move to discontinue respite and palliative care facilities at the hospital, replacing them with a chronic disease management centre.

Minister of State for Older People Mary Butler met Carrick-On-Suir’s Municipal District’s five Councillors about its closure earlier this month.

During that meeting, Minister Butler was adamant that the decision to close the hospital was based on safety concerns and would not be reversed.

However speaking on Tipp Today earlier Deputy Mattie McGrath refused to accept this answer.

“Well it has to change – whether it be the next government has to change it.”

“I mean we saw this happening in Tipperary back in the ‘80s when Dr Sean McCarthy was Minister of State at the time and he lost his seat over it.”

“This is a very emotional issue – all our hospitals are log-jammed. You can’t get into our hospitals now for love nor money to get a procedure done because of the back-up.