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Frank Feighan TD is challenged by protestors against the Roscommon hospital A&E downgrade outside the Dail yesterday Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Denis Naughten loses Fine Gael whip over Roscommon Hospital vote

Naughten loses whip for voting against his party on the hospital cuts, while Frank Feighan faces the wrath of constituents for voting ‘Yes’.

Updated at 16:00

FINE GAEL TD Denis Naughten has lost the party whip for voting against the party in last night’s motions on cuts to emergency services at Roscommon Hospital.

Last night’s Dáil vote left two TDs defending their voting decisions.

As reported in TheJournal.ie last night, the government’s decision to replace Roscommon A&E with an urgent care unit and an out-of-hours GP service was voted through the Dail by 96:46. The voting pattern looked like this:

It became quickly clear that two Roscommon Fine Gael TDs – under scrutiny from their local constituents – had voted in opposite directions. Frank Feighan voted for the downgrade, while Denis Naughten voted against the Government’s proposal.

Naughten said last night that he felt he had to vote against the move because he had promised during his election campaign to keep Roscommon A&E open. In a previous statement this year, he had said that even the reduction of A&E hours in Roscommon would be “totally unacceptable”.

Last night, he told reporters:

I couldn’t in all honesty face the people of Roscommon and tell them that I was turning my back on them.

Frank Feighan, meanwhile, has been on Newstalk’s Breakfast show this morning, defending his vote in favour of the downgrade – against election promises he made to Roscommon constituents. He said he was “sincerely sorry” that he had to vote ‘Yes’ but that the shortage of junior doctors and other events had to take precedence over promises he made back in February.

His explanation is unlikely to save him from the anger of constituents. Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan was demanding yesterday for Feighan to resign, should he vote for the downgrade. He went so far as to ‘Like’ a Facebook page entitled ‘Call for Denis Naughten and Frank Feighan to resign as promised’. The page was set up before last night’s Dail vote which saw Naughten become the first coalition TD to go against the Government.

Poll: Is it the right decision to close Roscommon A&E?>

What is an ‘urgent care unit’?>

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    Mute Pokey2013
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:34 AM

    Good for her! This really is a no brainer as an industry for the west of Ireland.

    142
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    Mute Ciaran Farrell
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:07 AM

    It should be but this government through an uduras na gaeltachta company called arramara are trying to corner the market from erris hd to loop hd by applying for a license which would stop cottage industries from cutting seaweed in west mayo, Galway and Clare thus giving a monopoly. At the same time they are negotiating the sale of arramara teo to a private Canadian company. Think they’re holding out for a suitable price. 30 pieces of silver perhaps?Absolute disgrace and the deal being done quietly. This will shut down countless cottage industries and is getting little or no coverage.

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Another scam being played out on us Ciaran.

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    Mute Ciaran Farrell
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:52 AM

    It is indeed. The worst part of it is that in many villages on our western seaboard there are so few opportunities to ” turn a pound” that this will be devastating and nobody is shouting stop ( or at least nobody with influence on kildare st.). This is Minister Ring’s heartland yet he is strangely quiet for a lad who loved the soapbox when in opposition.

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    Mute Thors Big Hammer
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:42 AM

    Fair play to this woman and her drive to to be successful.

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    Mute Brendan Harlowe
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    Jun 9th 2014, 12:14 PM

    I think she flew in actually .

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:55 AM

    It is not an either/or choice. To grow your business all markets should be explored. The Irish home market is tiny and many of our indigenous industries would simply fold without overseas sales.

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:14 AM

    Why would/should any business limit themselves to a single market?

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    Mute Dee4
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:14 AM

    well done to the lady, there are increasing warnings not to consume anything from the Pacific. Japan and even the West Coast of the US should be great markets for her

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:12 AM

    We don’t eat enough of it ourselves.

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:38 AM

    Maybe someone could tell us where ‘sea vegetables’ are on sale in locally? I can get dried product in the Asia Market in Drury Street and very nice it is too. Try this site for lots of info http://www.seaweed.ie/uses_ireland/irishseaweedfood.php

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    Mute Michelle Blessing
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    Jun 9th 2014, 11:54 AM

    What a shame we are exporting to a country that carries out horrific atrocities against dolphins and whales in Taiji.

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    Mute Frank
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:36 AM

    Japan still has a market for glow in the dark seaweed.

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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:37 AM

    Do you have a link for that, Frank?

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    Mute Frank
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:46 AM
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