Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Provision for acute medical units for non-surgical patients is being made as well as the transfer of 100 high dependency beds, 38 of which have been dealt with. All of these initiatives are being monitored carefully. We are providing admissions units and other facilities to alleviate pressure in accident and emergency departments in Cavan, Wexford, the Mercy Hospital in Cork and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. In Tallaght Hospital an admissions unit is being provided close to the accident and emergency department which is expected to be operational in September for 40 patients. St. James's Hospital has another low dependency unit as has Naas General Hospital. All these reforms are taking place, resources are being provided and construction work is under way during the summer.

The Deputy referred to the service provided by pathologists and radiologists. He has a point. As part of the social partnership talks I particularly asked the staff associations, both professional and non-professional, to work with the negotiators in the Department of Health and Children. The old concept that a hospital can work for seven hours a day while many of its main units have machinery and equipment that costs a huge amount is a system from the past. The Deputy is correct in saying that is part of the problem. It does not work if people finish at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. or 5.30 p.m. We have asked the unions to engage with us during the summer in real negotiations with a view to extending the hours. We know this will cost money.

In the private hospitals the units start at 6.30 a.m. and work until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. Last night a friend of mind had a procedure at 8.30 p.m. This happens all the time. This will have to be done in the public hospitals also and we will have to pay our staff accordingly and, perhaps, buy out old agreements. One cannot run a hospital around the clock when some of the main units only work six or seven hours per day and where equipment costs the taxpayer millions of euro. We want to engage with the staff.

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