John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)

I am sorry, but I must suggest to the Minister that he should come to Waterford. He is always welcome in Waterford. He should pop down to the Waterford Regional Hospital, which serves 500,000 people, and speak to the staff, nurses and doctors there. He should visit at 5 a.m. on a Thursday or Friday morning and see what is happening in the accident and emergency ward and then tell me that the service is improving. It is not. I urge the Minister to revisit this and to lift the moratorium on staff recruitment. This plan is a disaster and will not work. It is a disaster in every hospital across Ireland. Many other Deputies will say the same. At the very least, the Minister should lift the moratorium. If the does not, he will regret it in a number of years time.

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