Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will put it in simple terms. As a Deputy who represents the constituency of Limerick City, I regularly get telephone calls very late at night telling me about people, many of whom are elderly, who are on trolleys. I am acting on this purely because that is my role. I am bringing it to Dr. O'Connell's attention that the number of people who are on trolleys on an ongoing basis is a major issue. There is a factual reason for it. A number of years ago - not too long ago - there were 35 accident and emergency beds between Ennis and Nenagh hospitals, St. John's Hospital and the regional hospital in Limerick. Seventeen of these beds were in the regional hospital. Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's hospitals had six beds each. The 18 beds in those three hospitals are gone. They no longer have 24-hour, functioning accident and emergency departments. The regional hospital continues to have just 17 beds. The number of beds has been halved. It is a major problem as we come into the real winter months, when the weather gets very bad. We have already had some problems even though the weather has been relatively mild. What can be done to ensure I no longer receive telephone calls at 11 p.m. or 12 midnight from people who have been on trolleys for many hours? The staff in the regional hospital are excellent. When one rings them, they deal with it. People are working within very difficult confines.

We have a unique set of circumstances. HIQA, which is an independent body, has said it is not fit for purpose. It is clear that the reconfiguration has resulted in a reduction in the number of accident and emergency beds. Obviously, this falls directly under Dr. O'Connell's remit. I appreciate that he is here for another purpose today. Given that this is about beds, I think it falls within the same context. What can be done? I acknowledge that a new accident and emergency department is being built. I would have liked to have seen it being developed more quickly. We are now being told that it will be in place in early 2016 and that it will be a state-of-the-art facility when the physical structure is there and is fitted. What can the HSE do to ensure additional bed capacity is available for people who are coming through the accident and emergency department at the regional hospital in Limerick over the period until the new emergency department is up and running in 2016?