McMonagle elected chair of HSE regional health forum

COUNCILOR Gerry McMonagle was unchallenged as the new Chair of the HSE Western Regional Health Forum.
After two years of online/virtual group meetings, the Regional Health Forum held its first in-person meeting in Galway on Tuesday, where a new board was elected for the next term.
The Sinn Féin councilor succeeds Tipperary Fianna Fáil councilor John Carroll, while the forum’s new deputy chairman is Galway Fianna Fail councilor Donagh Killilea.
Addressing the members, Councilor McMonagle said: “It has not been an easy time over the past two years as most meetings have had to take place over Zoom, but I want to pay tribute to the outgoing officers; you did the job very well and we appreciate all that you have done, John (Carroll), as president, and for your past work.
“We are continuing the work, even if things are still not the same and I want to say to the executive and all the HSEs as well, we appreciate all of their time, effort and commitment during this time.”
The new chairman called for a minute’s silence for his lost colleague, Fine Gael adviser Bernard McGuinness, who died in August 2021 and a member of the forum from 2014 to 2019 and also “to remember all that we have lost in the over the past two years”.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr McMonagle thanked party colleague Albert Doherty and Ciaran Brogan (Fianna Fail) for nominating and seconding him for the job. There were no other offers.
“It is good that Donegal has five seats on this type of forum and we can raise the ongoing concerns that are being raised to us across a wide range of health services. I will continue to shamelessly advocate and agitate on behalf of the needs of the people of Donegal and fill the gaps we have in our health service.
“Having said that, we have a strong health service in Donegal and we have a very proactive and committed workforce,” he said.
Cllr McMonagle is joined by Cllr Doherty, Cllr Brogan, Cllr Gerry Crawford and Cllr Tom Conaghan on the Forum.
“We have five members and you can see we all wear the Donegal shirt and work together. We raise issues when they need to be raised while also pointing out the great work that is also being done,” he said.
One of Cllr McMonagle’s first tasks as President will be to request a meeting with senior management at Letterkenny University Hospital.
“Members have asked me to request a meeting with Sean Murphy (Hospital Manager) and hospital management to get an update on the current situation at Letterkenny University Hospital and all other services provided.
“We will fly the Donegal flag and fight for better services for the people of the county. We will also try to end all this travel where people have to leave the county for services that should be provided in Letterkenny, ”said Cllr McMonagle.
The functional area of Regional Health Forum West covers the Limerick and Galway City Councils and the County Councils of Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, North Tipperary, Roscommon and Sligo. The region is further divided into a university hospital group known as Saolta University Health Care Group, providing acute and specialist hospital services in the West and North West and comprising six hospitals across seven sites, namely: Letterkenny, Mayo, Merlin Park, Portiuncula, University Hospitals of Sligo and Galway.

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