Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The desired outcome for everybody would be a unified system rather than many legacy systems.

I would like to make a couple of other points. Politicians expect agencies such as the HSE to set targets. However, on review, it is evident that no hospital has reached them. One example is the accident and emergency targets set for last year. The target set for discharge and admittance within six hours of registration was 95%, but this was achieved by only 67.3% of hospitals. The target discharge or admittance within nine hours to be met by 100% of hospitals was achieved by only 64.4%. As such, no hospital reached either of these targets. Is the HSE setting targets that are deliberately over-ambitious or does it genuinely believe they are achievable? Most people would like to believe that when they attend an accident and emergency unit at any hospital, they will be seen and discharged or admitted within nine hours. However, not one hospital managed to achieve thie target.