What of Fine Gael's hospital promises?

Dear sir - With the first anniversary of the Save the Navan Hospital March coming up this week, I ask, what has changed? On that day last October the then Fine Gael spokesman for Health, Dr James Reilly, promised that if elected to Government that he and Fine Gael would be a friend to Navan Hospital. This has not materialised. We were promised that surgery would be returned to Navan hospital under a FG-led government. This to has not happened despite the Peyton Report delivering its findings and vindicating the doctors and also recommending that general surgery be returned to Navan Hospital on a gradual basis. With the emergency department under constant threat and only receiving a six month stay of execution which is up for review in December, I again ask, what has changed? In February, Meath West returned two Government TDs in deputies Damien English and Ray Butler. With the considerable majority the Government has, these two TDs have become silent and are unable to force change. They should follow the example of their colleague Denis Naughton and stand up for the people who elected them, even if it means losing the party whip. One of the promises made by Minister Reilly and Deputy English that day 12 months ago was to build and have fully functional the new north eastern regional hospitalin Navan within five years - a promise repeated in the general election campaign by Deputy English. It is time to deliver on these promises and show the changes promised on that day a year ago. Yours, Mark Power, via email.