Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

We even had announcements where one hospital vied with another for the building and creation of a brand new regional entity. These were followed swiftly by someone saying there was not one red cent available to build the entity. The reconfiguration of health services in the north east is a critical issue, the effect of which does not benefit patients who are sitting on trolleys today. What we must do now is have these patients treated as quickly, efficiently and professionally as we can. That is the reason the special delivery unit which only carried out its assessment in the past couple of weeks has made recommendations to hospital management on steps it can take to benefit patients who are waiting for assessment or lying on trolleys in various parts of the country. This is an immediate issue which can be dealt with now.

I do not have before me the management file on ward closures and so forth at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. As we have pointed out, hospitals are expected to live up to the specific budgets they signed up for at the beginning of the year. It is not easy to stand up here because I know many people, as Deputy Adams does, who are waiting for treatment. However, given the structure of the health service which has been in situ for a long time, great courage and many decisions will be required to make the shift that will benefit everybody. The Deputy knows that this is the case.

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