Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Health and Safety Authority, following its report on accident and emergency services in 11 hospitals, is working with the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive to resolve some of the problems it highlighted. The problems involve capital issues, cleanliness and the provision of new facilities and equipment, details of which I gave last week. Obviously the position has not changed since last Wednesday.

There has been a substantial increase in staffing in accident and emergency departments in recent years and in the number of nurses and supervisory nurse positions. In the five or six hospitals where there is a problem, we will continue to work with the Irish Nurses Organisation and the hospital management. The Health Service Executive is working daily on this issue to try to overcome the difficulties in the four of five hospitals that continue to have a problem.

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