Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response but, unfortunately, it falls well short of what is required. I do not think she needs me or anyone else in this House to tell her the level of crisis that is felt in the mid-west because of the massive level of overcrowding, even during the summer period, which is normally relatively quiet. The infrastructure there is wholly inadequate to meet the demands and needs of the people. I will be back here next week looking for more answers, and what I need to hear is not about what will happen in 2021 but rather what will happen in 2019. I want to hear that funding will be made available to ensure that by the time we get to September 2019, the modular unit is well under way. Prior to that, however, from the very beginning, we need ten extra beds, the second trauma theatre at weekends, the 24 hour acute MAU and the acute surgical admission unit on a 24-7 basis. It will not solve the problem but it will have a meaningful impact. It will allow the staff to give reasonable treatment to people who present and it will give a general expectation to those patients that they will be treated in a timely manner and with dignity and respect.

See this speech in context