Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I promise to be brief. I do not want to be specific, although 49 people remain on trolleys in Cork. Does the Tánaiste believe the crisis has reached such a stage that it is now imperative for her to introduce a Supplementary Estimate to deal with it? I accept we should travel abroad on St. Patrick's Day but, given that desperately ill people are being cared for on trolleys and chairs, the last thing the Tánaiste should do this week is leave the country. Does she seriously intend to depart the country despite the crises in the health service? Will she deal with this appalling situation now rather than leave it to Professor Drumm, who clearly does not accept the argument that capacity is at the heart of the matter?

See this speech in context