Mayo councillors urge Minister to lift recruitment restrictions at MUH

Mayo County Council has been asked to demand that the Minister for Health lift recruitment restrictions at Mayo University Hospital.

Independent councillor Harry Barrett tabled the motion at Monday’s full council meeting.

It was seconded by Aontú’s Deirdre Lawless.

The motion calls on Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to allow all previously sanctioned, essential frontline posts to be filled immediately.

It also asks that the motion go to the Minister and the Taoiseach, with a request for an urgent written response.

Councillor Barrett said newly qualified nurses and midwives had accepted posts at MUH.

Some had signed leases in Castlebar and given up other jobs to take on the role at the Castlebar hospital.

“They have since been told the positions are on hold”, he said.

He called the situation “paperwork before patients”. He said staff in the Emergency Department are stretched to the limit.

Ten days ago, he said, 40 people were sitting in chairs in a bright, noisy environment, in pain and confused.

Councillor Lawless called the situation “a tragedy” for the young people involved. She said they now face Christmas unemployed.

She added that ambulances were queuing outside the hospital because patients could not be moved on from the ED.

Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is due to visit Castlebar on Friday and both council members urged local representatives to raise the issue with her.