Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Additional resources have been allocated for the winter initiative next year. How much of the winter initiative planning will be based around the fact that the HSE will have additional resources from 1 January onwards? Will there be the ability to increase capacity for the number of weeks which are very pressurised in our emergency departments? One can almost predict that the first Tuesday of the new year is chaotic in every emergency department across the country. Will the additional resources allow the HSE to enhance capacity and plan more efficiently for emergency departments in early January than heretofore? The Chairman asked us to be brief.