Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I would like to associate myself and the Labour Party with the expressions of sympathy for the family and friends of Dolores O'Riordan, and the people of Limerick, on her sudden and tragic passing.

The past two weeks have been dominated by what is now an annual crisis in accident and emergency departments. It is a sad reflection on our society that news of hundreds of sick people on trolleys is no longer shocking. According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, there are 541 people on trolleys, 413 in emergency departments and a further 128 on wards today. Last year almost 100,000 people spent at least one night on a trolley. That is a shocking number. Our hospitals are operating at an occupancy rate of 95%, which is well above international safe levels.

The Government has almost perfected the management of the news cycle as this annual crisis erupts. There are many myths about the trolley crisis and many proposed solutions. I think the Taoiseach will agree with me that it is important that we do not talk down our health service. There are real problems that we need to resolve. Immense work is being done every day and every night in our hospitals treating sick people. Our population is growing. It is ageing and health problems have become more complex. Diseases that once killed are now being managed and new solutions are being provided to manage complicated illnesses. Progress is being made. Our health service staff are national heroes who save lives every day and we have much to be proud of but we must address the problems.

The Government has perfected the line that it is not a matter of money or resources and we heard that again today. At the heart of the trolley crisis is a lack of capacity and staff and to solve that requires money. Government makes choices and its choice in the last budget was to provide tax cuts rather than to move every cent we had into addressing the crises we face. We should have almost 4,000 consultants but we have fewer than 3,000. Everybody is in agreement that we also need more acute hospital beds. A bed capacity review is still awaited but the number of beds needed has been estimated from up to 9,000, or at a minimum 2,500, over the next ten years if the Sláintecare project agreed in this House is to be implemented.

What is the Taoiseach's plan and what is the actual target to hire more doctors in the coming 12 months? Is the Government going to close the accident and emergency department in Portlaoise hospital and reduce accident and emergency capacity further? How many extra acute beds will the Government put in place this year and each year up to 2021?

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