Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I do not think anybody here, from my own perspective anyway, would question Mr. Reid's determination to implement Sláintecare because, ultimately, the HSE is an agent of the Government. The HSE implements Government policy.

The real concern is with the Department of Health. Mr. Watt's performance here this morning - what he has said here and his answers to the questions, certainly regarding the email - is concerning. Clearly, Mr. Watt's understanding of Sláintecare is somewhat at variance with the understanding of Sláintecare that many people here have. My worry relates to the Minister's understanding of Sláintecare because if that is Mr. Watt's understanding of Sláintecare, what is the Minister's understanding of it? That would worry me greatly because the regionalisation of the structures is a key component of Sláintecare. We are five years into what was initially envisaged as a ten-year reform programme. We have had a pandemic and any reasonable person would say that you are talking about an extra two or three years on top of that. I am greatly alarmed by Mr. Watt's answers to the questions but, more particularly, the combative nature of his answers. We will have to reflect on that. I am concerned now that Mr. Watt does not understand Sláintecare in the same way that we understand it.

While all this is going on, there are 96 people on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick, UHL, at present. They are the figures as of today. The bones of €100 million of Government money has been invested in UHL. We are talking about €20 million on a modular unit and another €40 million for a state-of-the-art accident and emergency department. I am wondering what has gone wrong in Limerick. Mr. Reid might be able to shed some light on this. Are there peer review performance comparisons with other accident and emergency departments? How come Limerick accident and emergency department is constantly at the top of the scale when it comes to people on trolleys? Even though tens of millions of euro of Government money have been spent over the past seven or eight years to try to alleviate the problem, we are still in a situation today where nearly 100 people are on trolleys. Is there a problem with the management down there? Does Mr. Reid have concerns with the management of UHL, given that we are in this situation today with 96 people on trolleys?