Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for attending this morning for what I have to say was one of the most comprehensive and well thought-through briefings I have heard. They have gone through the issues grade by grade and outlined the current position and the various effects of Government policy or the lack of progress. I thank them for that.

After my questions, I will have to leave, unfortunately. Normally, I stay for the whole meeting but Fianna Fáil is introducing a motion in a few hours in the Dáil on emergency department care. I have to do some work on that so I apologise for my having to leave after my questions.

On emergency department care, the witnesses have covered many areas. One of the main pressure points in the health system is the collapse in decent waiting times for patients going through emergency departments. We have seen figures that have never been seen in this country before - figures that are really not seen in any other European country that I can think of. One issue is that we do not have safe staffing levels in our emergency departments. Another is that we are not taking care of our own staff, be they consultants, nurses, radiographers or any of the other wonderful people the witnesses represent.

Specifically on emergency care, how are SIPTU's members feeling? Are there issues that are particularly egregious? If the witnesses were in charge, what would be the first steps they would take to try to make things better?