Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister spoke about patients with hip fractures waiting more than four hours. I could point the Minister to a patient in my constituency who waited four days. Each day she waited, this patient knew that her chance of a successful operation was diminishing, yet she waited day after day.

Talk of a model 3 hospital is all well and good, but let us be realistic. Live horse, get grass. We cannot even open an emergency unit, much less a new level 3 hospital. The plan is for a level 3 hospital for 2020. That is great, but what about now? I join Deputy O'Donnell in asking when will the new emergency department be open and taking patients. This is not an unreasonable question. If, as the Minister pointed out, the problem is legislation, when will we have that legislation? If we can sit overnight to liquidate a bank, and if we can sit in July for emergency legislation, we can sit this coming July to deal with legislation, provided the problem is legislation and that this is not just an excuse the Minister can hide behind.

A lot of politics is being played in this House and a lot of politics was played in advance of the last election in regard to health. It is interesting to hear that the lack of further expenditure on health is laid at the door of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform by one Deputy and that the thanks for the expenditure there has been is laid at the door of the Minister for Finance by another. We are in Government and must front up and take responsibility. I would like the Minister here to take responsibility and tell me when the emergency department will open and when we will have legislation, if that is the problem.

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