Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Does the Taoiseach admit, despite all the verbosity, that he has failed to engage with the key stakeholders? Does he admit he has failed to put in place short-term proposals that will deal with the accident and emergency situation? How many minor injury units in public hospitals have been set up, as promised in the Tánaiste's programme? They have been set up in private hospitals, but not in public hospitals. The situation is getting worse every week and the Government has failed to deal with it. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children is one year in office and she suddenly decided she will deal with the elderly. We have had three years of her waffle about dealing with this crisis, which is heaping indignity upon indignity on patient after patient all over this country. The facts are there and whatever the Taoiseach reads out from his well prepared brief, it is not relevant to the nurse who was seriously assaulted in the Mater hospital last week——

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