Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The task force set up by the Minister in respect of emergency departments meets on a regular basis. There are more beds. Delayed discharges have been reducing steadily since the start of the year. Beds in the community - for instance, in Mount Carmel - have been opened and 300 additional hospital beds are to open shortly, as already announced and in respect of which money is in place. A series of campaigns are going on to attract front-line staff. Since January of this year, there are 500 more nurses in the health service. Since September 2011, almost 300 additional consultants have been appointed, including 57 more this year. The number of NCHDs employed has increased by over 250 since last year.

I do not understand how what happened to this 91 year old man was allowed to happen. It is up to everybody in the health service to play their part, accept their responsibilities and to work to ensure that the plan works. All Members will be aware, in terms of hospitals they may have had to visit, that somebody has to make a decision about the extent of medical priority such that no 91 year old is left on a trolley for 29 hours. The facilities are being provided. The extra staff are also being provided, as is the money, but it is still not making the impact that it should. I am sure that over the next number of weeks other shocking cases will be brought to light.

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