Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

How long does it take to solve a problem? The Minister stated this was a national emergency in 2006. I would have to dispute the Minister's point, that matters were getting better. There were over 550 patients one day last week, according to the INMO figures, and 442 is the figure for today. If the Minister has been to any of these emergency departments, they are squashed into tiny little spaces in most unsafe conditions.

Would the Minister accept that whatever measures she put in place in 2006 when she stated it was a national crisis have failed? Has she, as I asked in my question, carried out a review of those measures to judge their success and see what has been successful and what has not? She states that the HSE will do this, that and the other now, but this dates back to 2006 on her own admission. We cannot live horse and get grass. There are people lying on trolleys for hours on end who cannot wait until such time as someone somewhere decides to do something.

There are currently, according to the INMO, 1,672 beds closed in the system. Will the Minister give the authorisation to open up some of those beds so that we can get rid of this scandal of people lying on trolleys? The main reason Limerick and Drogheda - two of the hospitals to which the Minister referred - are in trouble is because they are having to cater for people from all over their regions and because she has closed other emergency departments. Let us get real here and let us solve this problem for the people of this country.

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