Ms Noeleen Moran:

I know Deputy O'Donoghue has spoken up on local radio and supported us and this is appreciated. What we are talking about here is a recurring theme. On leaving office, the previous Minister for Health, Simon Harris, admitted that the Government failed the people of the mid-west. Before he assumed office, the current Minister for Health admitted that there is a big problem. However, when they are in office, the situation changes.

If members are analysing the HIQA reports and Deloitte report and looking at what has been left out from one to the other, there was a proposal to explore a model three hospital - that was a commitment from UHL management - in the first HIQA report. In a second HIQA report, that was dropped, it has not been followed up and they have not looked at the long-term objectives that were put in place to bring the hospital back into compliance with national standards. This has been ignored. Instead they have replaced it with a proposal to examine floor plans to see how they can space out trolleys better and create room for more. What we hope to get from members is for members to chase that and find out why that long-term objective - the commitment made by UHL management - has been let go and where the long-term plan is because the standards have not changed. The standards the hospital was not compliant with in the first report are the same standards it was not compliant with in the second report. This was one of the main commitments made by UHL management. Where has it gone? It is the answer to our model three hospital, the upgrading of our hospitals first and then the reopening of our accident and emergency departments, which will balance the mismatch between capacity and demand in our region. This is my ask of members.