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SPEECH BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT A FUNCTION OF THE ROYAL VICTORIA EYE AND EAR HOSPITAL

SPEECH BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT A FUNCTION OF THE ROYAL VICTORIA EYE AND EAR HOSPITAL ON TUESDAY, 1ST DECEMBER, 1998

Ta áthas orm a bheith anseo i bhur measc agus muid ag ceiliúradh céad bliain ag fás agus ag dul chun chinn.

I am delighted to be with you this morning, and I very much appreciate your kind invitation to join with you to mark the start of your second century and, in the process, to meet those who work at the hospital which has provided such a valuable and essential service to the people of Ireland.

The Eye and Ear Hospital, as we now know it, began life as an amalgamation of two Dublin hospitals - the National Eye Infirmary and St. Mark’s Hospital, which was founded by Sir William Wilde, father of Oscar Wilde. As is sometimes the case with amalgamations like this, it took some time for the new hospital as it was then to come to fruition. So, after some initial difficulties were resolved, the hospital finally opened its doors and received its first patients in 1904 – and has been a major component of the medical services in this State ever since.

When you consider the number of patients which pass through the hospital doors annually – 7,000 admissions, 50,000 out-patient attendances and 50,000 at the Accident and Emergency Department – with each getting individual and careful attention - you begin to understand and appreciated the sheer scale of activity that takes place in the hospital. The Eye and Ear hospital has clearly come a long way since those early days and has developed into a national centre of excellence in the provision of specialist ophthalmic and ear, nose and throat services.

I know that the hospital, as part of its Centenary celebrations, established a fund-raising committee under the chairmanship of John Donnelly – with the purpose of generating funding towards the provision of a new learning centre, and to raise the standard of the existing library facilities. I also understand that the Committee has been successful realising its target through a series of events - and that the hospital hopes to be in a position to commence work on the new development at an early date. I would like to compliment and congratulate the committee for their work in making these new developments possible – and I would like to acknowledge the help and support which the Committee have received from the many people who share their vision of the future direction which the hospital will take.

In a century that has seen profound changes – with the turmoil of the early decades and the struggle for economic independence in the decades after independence – this hospital, like any successful institution, has had to move with the times and continue to develop its services to meet the needs of a changing society. It has developed into a teaching institution of national importance for health sector personnel with links to both the Royal College of Surgeons and Trinity College, Dublin.

One of the greatest challenges facing health service personnel is the need to keep pace with rapid developments in their chosen field through continuing education. With advances in medical science and developments in the delivery of the health services, it is essential that staff continue to learn after initial qualification – that they continue to stay in touch through a critical approach to new developments. I have no doubt that the new learning and library facilities, when in place, will meet that requirement as you add to your existing knowledge and expertise.

In addition to the work of the Centenary Committee, I am aware that the Council and management are engaged in a programme of continuous re-development of the hospital - with a number of significant projects already identified – with improvements having been made to the fabric of the building – and some exciting new service developments such as the provision of a new Day Care Centre – allowing the hospital to follow national and international trends, through the provision on a day basis of treatments and procedures which previously required patients to be admitted for a period of days.

I would like to pay a special tribute to the staff at the hospital - some 240 medical, management, nursing, paramedical and support staff – for their skill, commitment and dedication, which has been central to the hospital’s success in addressing the increasing expectations for quality service. I would also like to pay tribute to the Council Members at the hospital for their dedication and for their role in ensuring that the hospital continues to deliver excellence.

I would like to wish the hospital and all those associated with it every success as you embark on a new century and face into the third Millennium. I have no doubt that the hospital will continue to be faced with many challenges in the provision of specialist services over the coming years and in ensuring the provision of a high quality service to the general public. I am equally confident that you are well equipped for the challenges that lie ahead.