Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I do not want to cut across the Minister of State and Deputy Ciarán Lynch. Gabh mo leithscéal - tá mé ag caint faoi rud an-thábhachtach. Three other patients and an undisclosed number of staff are being screened for this dangerous disease.

The deterioration in the hospital's situation is not unexpected. Bhí mé ag tabhairt amach anseo faoi sin. Chuir mé eolas faoin slí criticiúil ina bhfuil saoránaigh sna otharlanna seo roimh an Aire agus an Taoiseach. Three weeks ago, Deputy Tóibín, Dr. Ruairí Hanley and I wrote to the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, to ask it to launch a full public investigation of the hospital's emergency department urgently and immediately and to publish the findings. We did so because Drogheda has consistently ranked as the hospital with the worst waiting list in the State. For months, the number of patients on trolleys at the hospital has consistently exceeded 30, resulting in significant pressure on the emergency department. This represents a clear threat to patient safety and welfare. Management at the hospital has responded by putting into effect the full capacity protocol, which means that it identifies spaces in wards in which to place patients even though the wards may not be appropriate to the patients' health needs.

HIQA declined to order an investigation. In light of the TB case and the ongoing crisis in the emergency department, I am calling on HIQA to reverse its decision. I am disappointed that the Minister for Health is not present, although I am grateful that the Minister of State is substituting for him. If HIQA continues to refuse to order an investigation, the responsibility for doing so falls to the Minister. I am calling upon him to do it.

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