James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I do not accept that we do not have the money. We are spending approximately €5,000 a head in this country on health care while the spend in Holland is €4,000. That country seems to be able to do it but we are not doing it. I can only attribute that to the Minister.

To what does the Minister refer in the context of the six-hour target? Does she mean six hours from the time of arrival in an accident and emergency department? That could not be true. Does she mean six hours from the time the accident and emergency doctor decides a person needs admission, or is it six hours from the time the admitting doctor comes from elsewhere in the hospital, which could be 12 hours from a patient's original arrival in accident and emergency? To which of the three does the Minister allude when she refers to patients being treated within six hours?

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