Women and Children first
…as we abandon the good ship Celtic Tiger.
The letter was sent to Mr Martin, five years before exposure of the blunders. It warned that although Portlaoise was the designated breast cancer centre for the midlands in 2001, it was still without key staff.
Mr Naughton detailed how no appointments had yet been made of two surgeons, a radiologist with a special interest or expertise in mammography, nor a histopathologist .
“Indeed they have not even been advertised or has any discussion take place with me as to what will happen in the future. “We do not have an oncologist in the Midlands ; we do not have a consultant radiotherapy delivered service in the Midlands.”
Mr Naughton said he had written to senior management “about seven times” in the past two years outlining suggestions to deal with the problems.
The controversy over class size represents the latest challenge for Ms Hanafin, who has been criticised in recent weeks for her record on autism education.
Last night the department said the various commitments in the programme for government were predicated on continuing strong economic growth.
But with the budgetary position tightening, the Government was not in a position to meet all of these commitments.
It pointed out that reduction in class size had already been made in each of the last two years.
Mark Waters marked time at 9:30 am on March 7th, 2008 .
