Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State said the UHL emergency department is frequently working above capacity. It is doing that every day. The emergency measure has been in place every day this year and was in place every day in 2017 so it is not frequently but daily. That leads to elective surgeries being cancelled and extra beds being put into wards, which is not safe. When this measure was introduced by the HSE a number of years ago in consultation with the nurses, the nurses expressed huge concern but they were told at the time that it would be an emergency measure. However, it is used every day in Limerick and that is not good enough. It is not true to say in the House that it is frequently used as it has been used every day this year and every day in 2017.

The Minister of State mentioned the new emergency department. It is a good facility but, as I highlighted previously in this Chamber when the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, was in attendance as the Minister, Deputy Harris, did not turn up again that day, the nurses were concerned about the proposal to have 24 people usually on trolleys in the new department. The Minister, Deputy Harris, rubbished that and said it would never be the case and would never happen. The hospital in Limerick would almost be happy if there were 24 people on trolleys because the number is far more than that every day.

I wrote to the Minister last January seeking a meeting with him to discuss ways to reduce the overcrowding problem in the hospital because it is abundantly clear that his plan for our local hospital is failing miserably. I have yet to hear back from the Minister. University Hospital Limerick is in a terrible state. It is constantly overcrowded and operations are being cancelled all the time. It is unfair to make nurses, doctors and staff work in such pressurised, overcrowded conditions and even worse to make sick patients lie on trolleys for days waiting for a bed. How does the Minister expect to attract nurses home from places such as Australia to work for lower wages and in far worse conditions? I was proud to stand with the nurses outside the hospital a number of days ago. The full capacity protocol is being used every day despite it being designed only for emergencies.

The Minister might refer back to me on my questions this time, although I was told previously that he would and he did not. What plans does he have for the 96-bed extension? When will it be built? Is there any progress on speeding that up? The last we heard is that the plans might be ready in 2019 but we need the building work to start.

See this speech in context