Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

On the first matter, I understand that is an industrial relations issue that is being dealt with through the usual industrial relations machinery. I hope, as has been the case in the past, that might provide a means by which those issues can be resolved peaceably in an industrial relations sense.

Regarding accident and emergency services, over 1,240,000 attendances are recorded at the accident and emergency services for 2004. That is, on average, 3,300 people per day. As the Tánaiste said, we are committed to improving the experience of patients through sensible and achievable measures. It is not simply a resource issue, although it is so in some cases. As I said here previously when asked about this matter, there is need for co-operation in terms of internal reorganisation of the provisional delivery of services in our acute hospital system if we are to deal with that issue.

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