Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach gets one out of ten for that response. The first two minutes were the usual prepared response and the last couple of sentences were about the winter vomiting bug, which is the question I asked. People have been asked to stay away from Cavan General Hospital. In Galway, 60 beds are vacant but an embargo on nurse recruitment means the nurses cannot be employed.

I will make two suggestions to the Taoiseach in respect of the winter vomiting bug. There was a carer outside the gate of this House two hours ago who displayed severe symptoms of this bug, having been minding a patient this morning. Will the Taoiseach make a serious effort to see to it that hygiene is improved in our hospitals? The standard of cleanliness ranges from outright filth in some cases to revolting in others. It is just not good enough that a standard applies whereby, in some cases, the cheapest is the norm. It is perfectly obvious——

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