Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the positive decision of the Minister to bring Liam Doran onto the task force. However, what the INMO and any medical professional says is that we need more beds and more nurses and this requires more resources. What we are dealing with now is an absolutely unacceptable and unprecedented crisis in accident and emergency departments. It is a case of the chickens coming home to roost, of 5,000 nurses being taken out of the system, of 2,000 beds being taken out, of 2.3 million home care hours being cut. Neither a health service, hospitals nor accident and emergency departments can be run on that basis or on the basis of 100% bed occupancy, because this means there is no room for manoeuvre if there are any surges and then a crisis immediately ensues. The international best standard is 85% occupancy. The beds must be re-opened and more permanent nursing staff must be employed and extra resources and money must be provided in order to do so. If the Minister does not grasp that nettle, if the Government does not get that message, this crisis is just going to continue.

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