Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I listened attentively to the Taoiseach when he answered on Leaders' Questions yesterday with regard to the number of patients on trolleys in accident and emergency units last month when compared with the figures for the previous 12 months. The figures he provided were fascinating. He told us there had been reductions of 20%, 30% and 50%. However, I have great doubts about the method of calculation of the number of patients on trolleys throughout the country.

For example, it has been brought to my attention that at University College Hospital, as in many other hospitals in recent months, five wards were closed due to the incidence of the winter vomiting bug. Two weeks ago, while those wards were closed, 16 patients were on accident and emergency trolleys. Lo and behold, at a certain time during the morning, one of the wards was opened and the 16 patients were wheeled off to it. However, I understand they were wheeled back again later in the day.

I would like to know if those 16 patients were added to the day's statistics for persons on trolleys. Many operations were cancelled at that hospital while the wards were closed, but it was remarkable that one ward could be opened that morning. The Minister and the HSE should explain how the figures are calculated because people are suspicious, as I am, given that the method of calculation seems unusual. I hope the explanation is to the contrary.

No matter what way the Government massages the message on health, the electorate are fed up to the teeth with the services they must put up with. In east Galway, like every other rural area, many elderly people have no car and have no one to drive them to hospital appointments. Until last year, they were used to having the health boards organise transport from their homes to the hospital and back. Apart from patients with cancer or needing dialysis treatment, that service has been stopped. Does anybody suggest this is a good service? Will the Taoiseach or his Ministers tell me it is the right way to do business?

I carried out a survey in east Galway of 25 matters relating to normal health problems which people experience. Some 1,400 people across the constituency saw fit to answer the questions and send back the survey with their comments. I guarantee that if the people in every other constituency are as fed up with the service as the people in my constituency, as demonstrated in this survey, the Government is in for a bigger shock than it expects.

For example, 84% of those who responded claimed the public dental service was either poor or average. Just 16% believed the public dental service in County Galway was a good one. The response was similar with regard to accident and emergency and other services. If there was ever an issue on which the Government faced criticism, it is the health issue. I hope the day will come soon when the Government will be in opposition because of what it did not do.

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