Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Having spent time on a hospital trolley, I can relate to the experiences of many of my constituents and other people around the country.

In the 90 seconds available to me, I will focus on one issue. Last Thursday, security staff entered an area of Tallaght Hospital known as "the pod". Management then arrived and informed those present that the area was being redesignated as an adult area. The staff protested but were effectively asked to go away. They had to complete their work without access to this space. Some were told this was part of a two-day trial but that they should plan for the area to be redesignated permanently as an adult area. During the redesignation, I received reports that space could not be found for extremely sick children who had been brought to the hospital. These included patients with severe neurological conditions and one patient who may have cancer. Other sick children were then shunted out to public corridors. In one case, a five year old on a drip was left sitting on a chair on the main corridor of the department. Will the Minister confirm that this incident took place? Will the redesignation be permanent or is it a temporary measure to address difficulties being experienced in the hospital?

Children should not be left on trolleys. This practice gives rise to safety and personal dignity issues. I once observed a woman dying on a hospital corridor surrounded by family members. It was an awful experience and I am sure Deputies will be able to relate similar experiences.

It does not make sense to close down step-down facilities while cases such as those described by Deputies are taking place. St. Brigid's nursing home, which serves the Dublin South-West constituency and Wicklow, is a fantastic facility that is about to be closed. At the same time, families are telling us they cannot find nursing homes that will take in their loved ones who are in hospitals such as that in Tallaght. The reason for this is the high demand for such services. Much could be done if we sought collectively to address the problem. We must do things differently.

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