Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Government works on these issues so there is no need for me to intervene personally. Everybody is involved.

The home care packages try to improve the flow in those hospitals that have a difficulty. These are mainly the Dublin hospitals and a few others around the country. The packages will free up an additional 500 beds occupied by older people. The only way to deal with this issue is to try to free up beds, including in private facilities.

I am the first to admit that there are problems but the figures I receive on a daily basis indicate that there are improvements. Yesterday's figures indicate that there was nobody on a trolley in Waterford. There is a problem in Wexford——

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