Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

We know that 33,000 fewer patients went through accident and emergency units in 2003 than in 1998. Last week in response to a question in the Dáil the Taoiseach admitted that accident and emergency facilities were, in his words, "not up to scratch". What is a crisis in the rest of the country, and what has driven nurses the length and breadth of the country to protest outside hospitals during lunch time, is simply "not up to scratch" in the eyes of the Taoiseach.

This morning we learned that the situation is much worse. The independent report of the Health and Safety Authority has criticised the level of congestion in accident and emergency units around the country. It says this increases the risk of injury, infection and violence from frustrated patients. There are reports of trolleys, chairs and medical equipment being stored in fire protected corridors. Some eight of the hospitals inspected since March have been reported to fire officers because exit doors and corridors have been blocked. Yesterday 283 patients were on trolleys in accident and emergency departments and there are serious reports of deep frustration and of anger verging on violence among some patients in some units.

The Government's response to this has been to fly a kite about the availability of a hospital at St. Bricin's, which will not happen now. There are complaints from nurses of being intimidated by management when highlighting the impossible conditions in which they are expected to work. The Tánaiste has said that the nursing home charges issue is putting patients off moving out of hospitals.

The Taoiseach has been, or is supposed to have been, in charge for the past eight years. This situation in the fourth richest country in the world is unacceptable. Conditions in accident and emergency hospitals in some places around the country are appalling. What does the Taoiseach intend to do about this——

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