Tipperary TD calls the HSE 'a law unto itself,' ignoring the real human cost of their decisions

Independent TD for Tipperary, Mattie McGrath, has issued a sharp condemnation of the "shocking" and "mean-spirited" cuts to hospital patient transport services in County Tipperary.

Speaking in the Dáil during a Topical Issues debate late on Tuesday night, Deputy McGrath condemned what he described as a “heartless and short-sighted decision” by the HSE, which he said was putting the lives and dignity of vulnerable patients at risk.

“These are not luxury services,” Deputy McGrath said, “they are essential lifelines for the sick, elderly and isolated people of rural Tipperary.

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"The HSE’s decision to reduce or deny access to transport services—without consultation, without accountability—is a disgrace.”

Deputy McGrath shared deeply personal stories of individuals impacted by the cuts, including a frail man with no family who waited four years for an appointment but was unable to attend because he had no transport and could not afford a €120 taxi from a rural parish to Cork, and a mother forced to beg a voluntary group for ambulance support for her paraplegic daughter.

He accused the HSE of acting like “a law unto itself,” ignoring the real human cost of these decisions, and called into question the priorities behind the massive increase in healthcare budgets.

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“The HSE’s budget has risen from €7 billion in 2007 to €24 billion today, and yet it’s the most vulnerable people—those without a voice—who are paying the price. This isn’t about money. It’s about the bureaucratic rot and lack of compassion in decision-making.”

McGrath paid tribute to voluntary organisations like the Red Cross, Civil Defence and Order of Malta, calling them “the only reason some patients are still getting to appointments,” while criticising the growing number of hospital executives and managers “with titles but no connection to frontline care.”

He demanded an immediate review of the eligibility criteria for patient transport in Tipperary and a reversal of cuts which he says were made unilaterally and without democratic scrutiny.

“We need a return to compassion and common sense. We don’t need more executives—we need justice, dignity and fairness for our sick and elderly.”

Deputy McGrath has pledged to continue raising the issue in the Dáil and to hold both the Government and HSE to account for what he calls “a scandalous abdication of responsibility to rural Ireland.”