Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The answer I gave is not meaningless, with respect. Overcrowded emergency departments and patients on trolleys in hospital corridors mean the situation is not as it should be. We have admitted on many occasions that it is not right and proper to have patients on trolleys, particularly those who have had to wait for more than nine hours on a trolley. This is not as safe as it ought to be. This is clear, and far from being meaningless it is a realistic appraisal of the scale of the challenge we face. It is not all about money, it is about management as much as anything else. One can never foretell accurately the numbers who may wish to avail of emergency departments. It is not a black and white situation to state it is safe at 4 o'clock but not safe at 5 o'clock. It is not right and proper to have trolleys occupied by patients for more than nine hours and it is in this area in particular the Minister is working very hard to regulate this properly.

See this speech in context