David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is my point. Yet, here we are with high numbers again in Limerick compared to other regions. I make that point to come to the issue of how we move forward. I recognise the additional capacity mentioned by the Minister earlier. I recognise all the other outpatient work, the people who are treated or are seen and procedures which are carried out which do not get noticed or talked about in terms of the mid-west. However, we do have a particular problem in the emergency department. As we know in his report into the death of Aoife Johnston, the former Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Clarke mentioned and referenced a decision that was made to close emergency departments elsewhere and to essentially not have a centre of excellence in the mid-west that was fit for purpose which has led, in some part - maybe in a large part depending on how you like at it - to what is being happening in the hospital.

The Minister has commissioned a review, which, by the way, I looked for. I had called for a review; there is a review in place. I want to get clarity from the Minister because it is an important thing for the people in the mid-west to understand. Would he agree there is an unassailable argument now for a second emergency department in the region? When we ask what is the problem in Limerick, we can get 50 different answers. What is evident, even from what we have just heard here regarding last week, is that we seem to have more patients on trolleys on a regular basis. Even with the extra beds, that may not solve it. Does that demonstrate, in and off itself and all the other problems we have seen, that there is a deficit of emergency departments in the region that needs to be addressed? I ask the Minister to answer that from his perspective first.