Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister had listened carefully, he would have noted that is what I said. Connolly Hospital is one such example, of which I have good knowledge from talking to the managers of that hospital. They told me they could not recruit agency staff at key times such as Christmas and other times as the staff did not want to work. I do not know what the numbers are. My question relates to the fact that the health service has to pay out in this respect. For example, the hospital in Galway, as has been well publicised, had to spend €10 million last year on agency staff, which represents a five-fold increase in one hospital. Imagine the resources that is sucking from our health service. The Minister's ban on recruitment is leading to higher costs throughout the health service. Connolly Hospital has had the highest number of people on trolleys in the State on several occasions and that must be a bit embarrassing for the Minister as that hospital is in his constituency. On 10 April there were 30 people on trolleys in that hospital-----

See this speech in context