Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I am sure a number of the issues he outlined will have a positive impact. I am slightly concerned about what we consider to be normal practice, which nowadays means having large numbers of people on trolleys at any one point. We need to get away from that. Some of the topics discussed by the Minister are focused on the national situation. One of the issues I encounter in talking to nurses in Galway is the sense that local management is not willing to engage and to have the type of relationship and task forces at local level for which we strive at a national level, so that the nurses, doctors and health care assistants can contribute in order to make the best of what we have.

We will need to look beyond getting over the annual busy periods and to have a more long-term plan for dealing with the regular flow of patients and putting in place a plan on how the ideal is to be reached. We must work towards limiting the time spent in accident and emergency departments.

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