Minister for Health Mary Harney has commended Galway's Enable Ireland fundraisers, saying charitable donations are needed to "fill in the gaps" of what the exchequer provides.

Minister for Health Mary Harney pictured officially opening the new therapy pool in the Enable Ireland offices in Westside on Friday. Also pictured are Cllr Jim Cuddy, Mayor Tom Costello and Enable Ireland's Mary Bennett. Photo: Reg Gordon.

"The State provides huge support for capital infrastructure," she said, adding, "staffing and services are supported by the State, but there'll always be more we can do. We have brought in tax breaks to encourage donations, and most people are willing to be involved."

Minister Harney was in Galway to launch Enable Ireland's new hydrotherapy facility, which is currently being constructed. The organisation hopes to open the facility by autumn 2009 to cater for over 100 children and adults with disabilities in the Galway area.

Minister Harney's visit followed a protest at University Hospital Galway (UHG) on Thursday, which was attended by approximately 200 people from trade and students' unions and left-wing groups.

One protestor, Laurent Pardon of the Galway No to Lisbon campaign, said people were upset with the current situation and wanted "a different health service".

Liz Mulry of NUI, Galway's Students' Union told the Galway Independent that students from the college had turned out in force to protest the recruitment policy currently afflicting UHG.

"There were quite a few students there. The protest was about highlighting the service at the moment. Fourth year students were contacted in relation to employment last week – they were told there was no employment for any graduates. The hospital needs nurses but they won't hire them. Hiring the nurses would alleviate some of the stress in the hospital at the moment," she explained.

Asked if she felt the protestors' concerns were justified, Minister Harney said the budget at UHG had increased by over €50 million in the past two years, and that the hospital currently had approximately 2,500 staff members. She also said that 26 nursing vacancies in the hospital were currently being filled.

"At the moment, it's more appropriate to look at how we work," said the Minister, adding that issues such as the length of a patient's stay and when it was appropriate for patients to be admitted needed to be examined.

However, she stressed the improvements in the services provided at UHG. "There is a huge number of advanced services being provided; cardiac care and cancer care are now on people's doorstep, that was never there before – you had to go to Dublin."

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