Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

——and for one reason or another they cannot go home. In the past such people were able to go home but that is not the case now and step-down facilities must be used which puts much pressure on the system.

I will give my personal view in answer to Deputy Kenny's question about the drunks. The ambulance crews and those who bring such people to accident and emergency departments both at weekends and other times, have no alternative but to bring them. The difficulty is trying to provide separate facilities for them in accident and emergency units in order to protect old people and others who may never have been in an accident and emergency unit before. Some units are able to do this but most units cannot. This is particularly the case in the Mater Hospital in Dublin because the facilities are old and separation cannot be made. This creates much hardship for the staff and also for elderly patients who have never experienced such behaviour. However, these people cannot be denied treatment for many medical and legal reasons and this creates great pressure.

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