There were strong exchanges at the monthly meeting of the Midland Health Board last week when a Co Longford member, Cllr James Bannon (FG), was suspended by the outgoing chairman, Senator Pat Moylan (FF).
The row was a continuation of events at the June meeting, when Cllr Bannon was asked to withdraw "personal" remarks made about the health board executive.
The remarks were made following a suspension of standing orders to discuss his motions in relation to the curtailment of services at the Longford casualty unit.
It had emerged just days before the June meeting that the doctors' weekend cover rota at the unit was to be reduced and that the out-of-hours rota on weekdays would also be scaled back from August 10th.
Cllr Bannon claims the decision to curtail the casualty services was made without consultation with the Longford representatives. The board meeting was eventually abandoned.
At last week's meeting, which was also the board's a.g.m., Cllr Bannon's two motions relating to the Longford casualty service again appeared on the agenda. Cllr Bannon was again asked to withdraw the remarks he had made at the June meeting but he refused to do so.
He was then suspended as a member of the Midland Health Board. A spokeswoman for the board said she could not comment on the suspension of a member, as it was a matter for the chair.
She did, however, confirm that the suspension had followed Cllr Bannon's refusal to withdraw "personal" remarks about the executive.
A new chairman was elected when the a.g.m. business began. Cllr Camillus Glynn (FF) replaced Cllr Moylan in the chair. Cllr Moylan was not available to comment on the suspension of Cllr Bannon this week.
Longford's health services have been gradually eroded over the years, according to Cllr Bannon. The county did, however, take some solace from the announcement last week that a four-year-old wing at Longford-Westmeath hospital in Mullingar will now be equipped and brought into service. A £45 million investment in the project is expected.
Ironically, health board members were told just days before the announcement of this investment that five beds had been closed at the same hospital due to "unprecedented nursing staff shortages ".