Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Having said that he does not wish to deal with statistics, the Taoiseach reached for statistics. He has typified the stories I told him as accusations. They are nothing of the sort.

They are the experiences of two people in Cork, namely, an 84 year old woman and an elderly man who fell and was left on the pavement for two hours. That is not an accusation. It is a scandal and an utter disgrace. I am shocked that the Taoiseach seems to be so out of touch that he would classify that as an accusation. These are the stories behind the statistics that are so regularly quoted.

The Taoiseach has said that he is pulling out all of the stops and is on top of this. All of the evidence contradicts that. The evidence tells us that this is a crisis and that the Government cannot manage it. It tells us that this is a disaster. Staff in Kerry told Deputy Ferris so earlier today and people are saying the same in Cork. I was in Mayo last week, where the emergency department and its staff is under enormous pressure. The Taoiseach seems to be totally out of touch and is blissfully unaware of this. I put it to the Taoiseach that, rather than providing any positive solutions, it is quite shocking that the Minister has spoken recently about a recruitment freeze and an overtime ban. How on earth will that do anything other than worsen the capacity crisis at accident and emergency departments?

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