James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I do not want to get into semantics with the Minister but I hope we are measuring the number of people in A&E, rather than measuring people. The bottom line is that there have been serious delays in surgeries and people are being left in pain needlessly. Another issue is now arising. Given the Department's focus on breast cancer, people who are being screened for suspected cancer are being brought in a bumped up the list ahead of men and women who have proven bowel, bone or lung cancer. This is having a deleterious effect on people with cancer. They require operations, yet they are being bumped down the list to ensure the figures stack up, so I am told, for the breast cancer scheme. There is a lot of shifting around here, so I would like the Minister to address that issue.

There is no doubt that hospitals are unable to cope, and this is particularly so in those serving north Dublin, including Beaumont, the Mater, James Connolly and Drogheda. Some 61 people were on trolleys the other day in Beaumont Hospital. People are waiting 72 hours for treatment and this is not anecdotal, it is happening daily. People are contacting me by e-mail and telephone to ask what the Minister is going to do about this.

The Minister could simply put out to tender services for physiotherapy, speech, language and occupational therapy, which are associated with existing nursing beds in the community, thus moving people out of hospitals. If they are not moved soon after their acute phase of treatment, they do not get rehab and are left there for four or five months, the opportunity is missed and thus they will end up in long-term care and will never get home. Will the Minister consider that?

See this speech in context