Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing Deputy Healy and myself to raise this matter today. I do not mean any disrespect to Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd either but it is downright shameful that neither the Minister nor a Minister of State is here to answer this matter. We will get the a standard answer that we always get and that is not good enough.

Deputy Healy referred to the more than 30 beds that are closed. We have never that this level of overcrowding in South Tipperary General Hospital with the patients being treated on trolleys last week numbering 13, 18, 16, 12 and 16, respectively, and this is an ongoing feature. It creates too much pressure. It affords patients no dignity. It is not good enough or acceptable.

I compliment the doctors, the medical people and all the staff at the hospital for operating on a daily basis under that pressure, keeping their sanity, having good manners, maintaining a good relationship with the patients and doing their best, as reported by patients in an article on the front page of our local newspaper. I hear those comments all the time. However, this situation is clearly unacceptable.

Where is HIQA when it comes to dealing with this situation? It is up and down the country closing nursing homes, two or three in my county. Its officials are looking for the carrying of name badges and other nonsensical requirements. Why are its officials not on the corridors when the treatment of patients on trolleys is clearly unsafe, unhealthy and undignified? What are HIQA officials not in this hospital? This sham must stop. They are attacking the running of private and public nursing homes and putting them under savage pressure. Where are they when trolleys are blocking up the place? Patients are on trolleys for up to a day and half. Where are the HIQA officials then? This farce must stop. The Minister promised he would eliminate the need to have patients on trolleys.

The Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, closed St. Michael's unit at the hospital, which means that anybody with a psychotic attack in south Tipperary, other parts of Tipperary and parts of west Waterford must go to the accident and emergency department in St. Joseph's, adding to an already disastrous situation there. This is totally untenable, it cannot last and it will not last as something drastic will happen here.

It is beyond time that the Ministers came in and answered to the elected representatives of Tipperary South. I wonder what Deputy Tom Hayes and Senator Denis Landy are doing about this. It is not good enough for them to be merely rubbing their hands. We need action on this and at least the respect the Minister or one of his junior Ministers could show by coming in here to answer this matter.

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