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

In my question, I asked whether the Taoiseach is concerned given that there were lots of reports in the case of Portlaoise from frontline staff about the situation. We have a similar case with the psychiatric nurse suspended on foot of going to the media about the situation in Cork. My question is more general as to whether the Taoiseach is responsive and whether it is the policy of the Government to be responsive when health professionals blow the whistle about patient safety issues or are they to be censored and silenced? Is the Taoiseach cognisant of that?

I asked about the longer waiting lists and more people waiting for over a year for out-patient services. A number of areas were specifically highlighted as being particularly bad. There was an acknowledgement by the Minister that the hospital group, including St. Columcille's in Loughlinstown and St. Vincent's, had an issue. The Minister has said this resulted from reconfiguration which was supposed to improve the situation. Some of us warned it would worsen it. The Minister further said the problems which had arisen could not be dealt with without additional resources. If that is what the Minister is saying, will the additional resources be provided? Will there be upgrades of Loughlinstown or St. Michael's as necessary to deal with problems that have emerged from a botched reconfiguration?

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