Oireachtas committee hearing on Save St Brigid's Hospital petition to be broadcast live

The Joint Committee on Public Petitions hearing to consider the petition of more than 11,000 signatures calling for the re-opening of Carrick-on-Suir's St Brigid's Hospital will take place tomorrow (Thursday, January 19) at 1.30pm. 

The meeting in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House will discuss the petition and hearing presentations made by two Save St Brigid's Hospital Action Group representatives Suan Mullins and Barry Torpey. 

Oireachtas Petitions Committee Cathaoirleach Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne from Cashel will chair the hearing.

He said: “This petition calls for the reopening of St Brigid’s Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir, which provided much-needed respite, convalescence and hospice services for people in Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny until it was closed by the HSE in 2020.

"The Committee looks forward to hearing from Ms Mullins and Mr Torpey on behalf of the Save St Brigid’s Action Group and discussing their ongoing campaign to reopen the facility.

Deputy Browne said the Committee will also consider a number of other petitions, including one relating to ‘Taking in Charge’, a petition relating to ‘Research on topical steroid withdrawal’ and a call to ‘Amend the Child Care Act 1991 to provide HIQA with the necessary powers to sanction Tusla, Child and Family Agency when it fails to meet its statutory obligations’.”

The Joint Committee on Public Petitions is a standing Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas and has 11 members, seven from the Dáil and four from the Seanad.

The meeting in the Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.