Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have very little time but I want to comment on what I feel is a serious problem at the moment. We should recognise the work that is being done by the medical staff at the coalface in dealing with all the different issues and problems. The Taoiseach spoke about the 2,500 beds by 2031. Unfortunately, those beds are needed next week. That is what it is going to take to resolve the problem, from what I can gather. There is another way. While we need the extra beds, a decent home care package should also be put into place. That needs to be considered seriously. We have people in nursing homes under the fair deal scheme and the beds are costing from €900 to €1,100 a week. If there was a decent home care package such that people could buy in the care that they require to keep people in their own homes where they want to be, it would be a massive improvement in trying to resolve some of the problem.

Because of all this overcrowding, there are many people waiting for operations at the moment. They are waiting to get into hospital. I am referring to people who might be suffering from cancer or other serious issues, or who might not even know yet whether they are. They are being deprived of their opportunity to get into hospital to have tests carried out. It is very unfortunate.

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