Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is correct that St. Vincent's hospital requires additional focus. When one considers the figures for the hospital, however, one can see that it requires much more focus and attention than the Government has given it to date. According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the number of people on trolleys in St. Vincent's hospital in 2018 was 3,773, which was up by 1,276 in comparison with the figures for 2017, or a jump of more than 50% in one year. Some 3,906 people have waited more than a year for outpatient appointments at St. Vincent's hospital, but when the Minister of State's boss, the Minister for Health, took office, the number was just over 1,400.

The Minister recently published a waiting list plan. When will the 215 people on the inpatient day-case list in St. Vincent's be treated? They have been on the list for more than 18 months. While I acknowledge the provision of the 22 acute beds that the Minister of State outlined, further intervention by the Government is required.

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