Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister, Deputy Varadkar for being present to take this matter. He is fully aware of the difficulties. I have had discussions with him in recent weeks on a particular issue related to the gross overcrowding at the University Hospital Limerick. An interim solution is needed to this problem. We know a new state-of-art accident emergency department will not be ready and open to take admissions until early 2016. We have two winters to overcome between now and then. My main concern is for the patients in the accident and emergency department and the staff working there and dealing with this persistent problem. It has arisen due to the reconfiguration of services whereby 18 beds were taken from the accident and emergency departments at Ennis, Nenagh, and St. John's hospitals, the number of accident and emergency beds were almost halved to seven, and 17 beds are in operation in Limerick regional hospital. The emergency department there cannot deal with the numbers coming in.

We need a short-stay bed unit with 20 to 30 beds that would relieve the overcrowding and overflow from the accident and emergency department. It would allow people to access the accident and emergency department with dignity and avoid people being treated on trolleys for hours on end. People are entitled to such a service. I am not looking for anything new here. It is fully recognised that there is a major problem in accommodating the current level of capacity at the accident and emergency department. A new accident and emergency department is under construction and it is hoped it will be open in 2016. We need an interim solution with the provision of a 20 to 30-bed unit. As we approach the winter period, I hope an immediate solution will be found to address this problem and that beds will be made available to ensure the accident and emergency department can function in a normal way both for the patients who attend it and for the staff. I very much look forward to hearing the Minister's observations on this matter. I know he has looked into the matter in great depth. He commissioned a report with the HSE in this regard and I very much await his deliberations on this matter.

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