Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The crisis in our accident and emergency departments has, unfortunately, become an accepted part of a health system, on which €44 billion has been spent in the past eight years. This afternoon, I am informed that 164 patients lie on trolleys in Dublin hospitals, of whom 49 are in Tallaght Hospital and 39 in the Mater Hospital. Outside Dublin at least another 50 patients are waiting on trolleys for attention. I had occasion to meet members of the families of some of the patients in question outside the gates of the House this afternoon.

As bad as these circumstances are, they have the potential to get much worse. Gross overcrowding in our hospital wards and waiting rooms greatly increases the possibility of transmission of bugs and viruses. The winter vomiting bug has been reported in Beaumont Hospital, there is clear potential for an outbreak in the Mater Hospital and the trend for its spread is already ahead of that of last year. What is the Government's strategy to head off a crisis which will occur if the winter vomiting bug takes a foothold in our hospitals, particularly accident and emergency units?

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