Ms Sandra Broderick:

They provide outstanding care once you get past that overcrowded emergency department. I also agree with the Deputy that we need to engage in a campaign because I am concerned that people are delaying coming to the emergency department. We have a wonderful patient advocate who is working with us. We have been out and doing media interviews together. We have been encouraging people to come to the emergency department. They will be seen, they will be treated and they will looked after. Yes, there will be delays in getting from the emergency department up into the ward but they will be looked after. We have a lot to do in getting the public to rebuild their confidence in us as a hospital. We are doing that. We are trying to reach out to people all the time.

In respect of the MAUs, just yesterday the regional clinical director, Dr. Catherine Peters, and the IHA manager, Maria Bridgeman, met the GP leads to explain the extending MAU hours. The Deputy is right. In Nenagh, we are not seeing the increased number of referrals but we are in Ennis. We are getting huge volumes in Ennis but not in Nenagh. They are due to meet with the GP leads again, I think in two weeks' time. That will be really important because if we do not see the uptake of those appointments-----