Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Today, almost 500 people are lying on trolleys in our public hospitals. The worst public hospital today was Beaumont Hospital, where 45 people remained on trolleys seeking help and support. In my own county of Galway, between Galway University Hospital and Portiunucla Hospital, 36 patient waited for treatment on a trolley. To say this is becoming commonplace, in terms of it occurring week after week, is a complete understatement because today 480 to 500 people are on trolleys seeking help and support in our public hospitals and it is hardly making the news.

Last week we heard the testimony of the Feeney family in regard to their family member who waited for support and treatment in Beaumont Hospital. It took the testimony of that family to garner the support of the public to raise questions again about how we approach the overcrowding in our accident and emergency units. The Minister said he was in touch with the chair of Beaumont Hospital about the Gerry Feeney case. He said last week that he was disappointed and that he was waiting for the outcome of that investigation into the scandalous treatment the Feeney family received in regard to Gerry Feeney's concerns. They said last week in their testimony that there was no dignity in the support Gerry Feeney was given when he was a patient in Beaumont Hospital. That was the case of an 81-year-old man who was suffering from Parkinson's disease and who died on 31 January, three weeks after being discharged from the hospital. He was left lying in a soiled state and his family said he was treated as if he was invisible.

I do not doubt the Minister is disappointed and I am sure his disappointment goes some distance to demonstrate his concern about, and recognition of, the Feeney family's concerns.

How long is this going to go on? How many more Gerry Feeneys will it take before we start getting real in this country about the sense of urgency required to address this situation? People are tired of hearing that it has to get worse before it gets better. The Minister will not get away with dragging this on into a general election in 2016. He will have to get better. I am asking him to intervene in a human way with respect to what is going on in Beaumont Hospital today, where 45 people are struggling to get attention on trolleys. It is completely unacceptable.

Do not think I am trying to score a political point. In his contribution to the previous Topical Issue matter the Minister said he would not comment. I am asking him to act and to lead on this situation. Did the HSE seek €106 million last year to address this crisis? Since Christmas, has the HSE shared with the Minister any interim assessment on the money and resources required to address this crisis? Has the HSE at any point advised the Minister that it requires €130 million, €100 million, or somewhere within that range, in resources? How much of the €25 million announced by him in the service plan specifically to address this crisis has been spent and how much is left?

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