Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The wall of silence is real. Relatives are not being told — that is a fact. The last time I raised this matter with the Taoiseach, I mentioned the position in the Netherlands. The Taoiseach responded by saying that the Government would not go down that road. It is clear that one of the stark and critical differences between the system in the Netherlands and the system here is that there are more single rooms in hospitals in the Netherlands. Patients in that country do not have to tolerate this country's extent of overcrowding in absolutely inappropriate situations which leave people vulnerable to getting hospital-acquired infections, particularly MRSA.

I wish to quote Fr. Brendan Forde again:

You get great tax breaks if you build luxury hotels for the super-rich but they are incapable of building in our hospitals some individual units for the most vulnerable people, those who are in intensive care, and they will put them into a ward where there are hospital-acquired infections.

I referred to the death of Fr. Brendan's sister, Barbara. I extend my sympathy and, I am sure, the sympathy of the House to him and his family on their tragic loss. Many countless hundreds of lives have been lost in such a tragic manner as a result of this serious problem. Cleanliness is hugely important and hygiene is critical. What steps will the Taoiseach take to ensure we have single-room isolation units? We need to have the space to deal with people who are vulnerable to infection. When people are recovering after operations and other procedures, etc, they should not have to cope as part of a lumpen mass of patients.

I ask the Taoiseach to take the required steps to help to stamp out this scourge for once and for all. Nothing in what the Minister announced last week will give any hope to families who are faced this winter with loved ones who are afraid to go to our hospitals. It is time for action on this matter.

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