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THE GROUP OF SENIOR CITIZENS FIRST CAME TOGETHER IN MAY 1998 .
THE ORGANISER AND CHAIRPERSON, MRS ELLEN ROWAN TOLD THE MEETING THAT IT WAS TIME FOR THE OLD PEOPLE THEMSELVES TO DO SOMETHING AS THE NEGLECT OF THE NEEDS OF OLD PEOPLE HAD GONE ON FOR FAR TOO LONG.
TWO HOSPITALS HAD BEEN CLOSED IN TRALEE SHE SAID AND NO ALTERNATIVE ACCOMODATION HAD BEEN PROVIDED FOR THE ELDERLY. ' THE GERIATRIC BEDS WHICH HAD BEEN PROVIDED IN TRALEE GENERAL HOSPITAL ARE DECREASING AND ARE NOT BEING FILLED ON THE DEATH OF THE OLD PERSON….. THE THREAT OF KILLARNEY HAS HUNG OVER THIS TOWN FOR FAR TOO LONG SHE SAID AND WE ARE NOT GOING STAND BY AND SEE THE NEGLECT CONTINUE'.
THE GROUP IMMEDIATELY SET ABOUT RAISING AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM AND A TOTAL OF TEN THOUSAND SIGNATURES WERE COLLECTED IN SUPPORT OF THE HOSPITAL.
APPROACHES WERE MADE TO T.D'S AND SENATORS WHO PROMISED THEIR SUPPORT.
MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TRAVELLED THROUGHOUT MUNSTER AND VISITED ALL THE MUNSTER MEP,S ALL OF WHOM WERE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN.
MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, THE KERRY HOSPICE AND THE KERRY BRANCH OF THE ALZEIMER SOCIETY VOICED THEIR SUPPORT AS DID THE LOCAL CLERGY.
BOTH THE TRALEE URBAN COUNCIL AND KERRY COUNTY COUNCIL ADOPTED IT AS POLICY.
THE MEMBERS UNDERSTOOD THE HISTORY OF NEGLECT THAT HAD GONE FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS IN TRALEE.
THE GROUP WERE LUCKY TO HAVE TWO TRALEE COUNCILLORS ON THE SOUTHERN HEALTH BOARD, TOMMY FOLEY AND MAEVE SPRING. BOTH UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION THAT EXISTED AND MORE IMPORTANTLY UNDERSTOOD THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FEAR THE OLD OF TRALEE HAD ABOUT BEING MOVED TO KILLARNEY.
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY IN KILLARNEY IS EXCELLENT BUT TO AN OLD PERSON FROM TRALEE IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE FINAL JOURNEY. THEY KNOW THAT WHEN THEY GO TO KILLARNEY THEY WILL NOT COME HOME UNTIL THEY ARE READY TO DIE OR ARE ALREADY DEAD. THEY KNOW ONLY TOO WELL THAT THEIR FRIENDS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VISIT THEM AND THAT EVEN THEIR OWN FAMILIES WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY IN GETTING TO KILLARNEY EVEN IF THEY HAVE TRANSPORT.
THE SENIOR CITIZENS ATTENDED THE AUGUST MEETING OF THE SOUTHERN HEALTH BOARD AND WITH THE HELP OF TOMMY FOLEY AND MAEVE SPRING SUCCEEDED IN GETTING THE PROVISION OF A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOR TRALEE ON THE PRIORITY LIST OF THE HEALTH BOARD.
CATHERINE MOLLOY, CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD, TOLD THE GROUP THAT THEY WERE PUSHING AN OPEN DOOR AND THE FEELING WAS THAT WE WERE ON OUR WAY.
FURTHERMORE, ON THE DAY TOMMY FOLEY PROPOSED 'THAT A SITE ON THE GROUNDS OF TRALEE GENERAL HOSPITAL WOULD BE IDENTIFIED AND RESERVED'. THIS WAS PASSED AND THE SITE WAS TO BE EARMARKED BY CHRISTMAS.
THE SITE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED IN 1998
THE GROUP CONTINUED WORKING, THE THREE NORTH KERRY T.D.S AGREED TO WORK TOGETHER IN AN EFFORT TO GATHER SUPPORT FOR THE CAMPAIGN AND IN MAY, 1999 WE AGAIN ATTENDED THE SOUTHERN HEALTH BOARD MEETING IN TRALEE.
MICHAEL J CASEY, TECHNICAL SERVIICES OFFICER OF THE BOARD PRESENTED US WITH A MAP OUTLINING THREE POSSIBLE SITES AND ON THE PROPOSAL OF MAEVE SPRING IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE SITE WOULD BE DESIGNATED AT THE AUGUST MEETING OF THE HEALTH BOARD.
AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE IN TRALEE IN MAY COUNCILLOR JOHNNY COMMANE INTRODUCED AN EMERGENCY MOTION LOOKING FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE CONFERENCE IN THE TOWN'S EFFORTS TO GET A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOR TRALEE.
WE HAD A MEETING ALSO IN MAY WITH DENIS FOLEY, T.D. WHO TOLD US THAT IF WE GOT THE SITE THE FUNDING WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. WECONCENTRATED ON GETTING THAT SITE AS WE NOW HAD A GUARANTEE OF FUNDING.
WE AGAIN ATTENDED THE AUGUST MEETING OF THE HEALTH BOARD AND EXPECTED TO HEAR THAT THE SITE HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED AS PROMISED BUT IT WAS NOT TO BE. THE OLD PEOPLE COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT WAS HAPPENING …… NOT ONLY WAS THE SITE NOT DESIGNATED BUT IT WAS ARGUED THAT WE WERE NEVER TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE. IN ADDITION TO THAT THE HEALTH BOARD OUTLINED PLANS FOR A NEW 2.3 MILLION DAY CARE HOSPITAL. THE DISAPPOINTMENT FELT ON THE DAY WAS OVERWHELMING AND THE OLD PEOPLE GOT SO ANGRY THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE OFFICE OF KERRY'S EYE NEWSPAPER TO VOICE THEIR ANGER.
LATER THAT NIGHT THEY ATTENDED A MEETING OF THE URBAN COUNCIL TO NOTIFY THE MEMBERS OF THE SITUATION AND TO ASK THEM NOT TO REZONE HOSPITAL LAND THAT HAD BEEN SOLD TO A PRIVATE DEVELOPER BY THE HEALTH BOARD AT A PREVIOUS MEETING.
WE DID NOT LEAVE THAT MEETING UNTIL 10.30 THAT NIGHT AND IT WAS GENERALLY FELT THAT THIS WAS NOTHING BUT FURTHER NEGLECT OF THE ELDERLY BY THE HEALTH BOARD.
. IT IS THE BELIEF OF THE SENIOR CITIZENS THAT WHILE THEY WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED TO ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD HELP THE ELDERLY, THE MOST URGENT NEED AT THIS TIME IS A HOSPITAL TO CARE FOR THOSE WHO CAN NO LONGER CARE FOR THEMSELVES.
EFFORTS WERE MADE TO MEET MR LISTON WHO HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ELDERLY IN TRALEE GENERAL HOSPITAL BUT HE WAS TOO BUSY BUT FINALLY AFTER TWELVE MONTHS AND THE RECEIPT OF A REGISTERED LETTER HE AGREED TO MEET THE GROUP.
THE MEETING WAS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT AS THE OLD PEOPLE FELT THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR PROBLEMS.
HIS MAIN PRIORITY IS TO KEEP THE ELDERLY IN THEIR OWN HOMES FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND HE TALKED ABOUT REHABILITATION.
THE ELDERLY SAID, FINE BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE, FURTHERMORE THEY SAID NO OLD PERSON WANTS TO LEAVE HOME AND IT IS ONLY WHEN THERE IS NO OTHER WAY OUT THAT THEY WOULD EVEN CONSIDER LEAVING BUT WHEN THAT DAY COMES WHERE WILL THEY GO. AT THE PRESENT TIME WE HEAR STORIES EACH DAY OF OLD PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES BEING TOLD THAT THEY HAVE TO GO TO KILLARNEY AND UNLESS YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO HAS 'PULL' YOU HAVE NO HOPE OF BEING KEPT IN TRALEE.
THEY FELT THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR FEARS FOR THE FUTURE NOR THEIR BELIEF THAT ENDING THEIR DAYS IN PEACE AND DIGNITY IN THEIR OWN TOWN WAS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT.
IN THE MEANTIME THE THREE NORTH KERRY T.D.S WERE WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING THE ISSUE TO THE FORE. THEY ATTENDED MEETINGS OF THE GROUP AND THEY APPROACHED THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND CHILDREN, MR BRIAN COWEN IN AN EFFORT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED AND GET THE FUNDING.
IN THE MEANTIME, FOLLOWING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS MICHAEL CAHILL REPLACED CATHERINE MOLLOY AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE HEALTH BOARD AND IMMEDIATELY A DELEGATION FROM THE GROUP ARRANGED TO MEET HIM.
HE ADVISED US TO ATTEND A MEETING OF THE HOSPITALS COMMITTEE TO PUT OUR CAS E TO THEM WHICH WE DID ON THE 16TH SEPT. 1999.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT MEETING KERRY RADIO ANNOUNCED ON THE 5.30 NEWS THAT THE SITE FOR A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL ALLOWING FOR 50 BEDS AND THE PROVISION FOR 50 MORE HAD BEEN DESIGNATED ON THE GROUNDS OF TRALEE GENERAL HOSPITAL.
WE WERE JUBILIANT AND FELT THAT WE HAD OVERCOME THE BIGGEST HURDLE AS WE BELIEVED THAT NOW THAT WE HAD THE SITE FUNDING WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM.
WE MET THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND CHILDREN, MR BRIAN COWEN IN OCTOBER AND HE PROMISED TO SEND HIS PRINCIPAL OFFICER TO TRALEE TO MEET US. THIS MEETING WAS HELD IN NOVEMBER. THE MEETING WAS ATTENDED BY MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL AND COUNTY COUNCIL, MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, THE KERRY HOSPICE, THE ALZEIMER ASSOCIATION AND THE LOCAL CLERGY. WE WERE INFORMED BY MR BRADY THAT FUNDING WAS A PROBLEM AS OTHER AREAS NEEDED TO BE LOOKED AT AND THAT IN FACT WE WERE FURTHER DOWN ON THE HEALTH BOARD'S LIST OF PRIORITIES.
A REPORT WAS TO BE SENT TO US LATER. BUT AS YET WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING.
WE TRIED CONTACTING MR DENIS FOLEY WHO HAD PROMISED THE FUNDING BUT DUE TO HIS WORK ON THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE HE WAS UNABLE TO MEET US AND UNFORTUNATELY HIS PERSONAL PROBLEMS HAVE LED TO HIS REMOVAL FROM THE FIANNA FÁIL FRONT BENCH LEAVING US WITH NO GOVERNMENT T.D. IN THIS CONSTITUENCY. THE OLD PEOPLE NOW FEEL THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE A VOICE AT THE CABINET TABLE.
IN THE MEANTIME A NEW MINISTER FOR HEALTH HAS BEEN APPOINTED AND WE EXPECT TO MEET HIM SOMETIME IN MARCH.
WHILE ON THE ONE HAND WE ARE PLEASED TO BE MEETING HIM ON THE OTHER WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE ALREADY GONE DOWN THIS ROAD.
AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING OF THE SENIOR CITIZENS IT WAS DECIDED TO WRITE TO AN TAOISEACH, MR BERTIE AHERN, OUTLINING THE SITUATION TO DATE AND ASKING HIM TO LOOK INTO THE SITUATION FOR US. WE ARE STILL AWAITING A REPLY TO THIS APPEAL.
WE WAIT IN HOPE ……BUT IN THE MEANTIME THE NEGLECT OF OUR OLD PEOPLE CONTINUES
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