Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

My colleague, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and I come from the mid-west. Those us across the House, both in government and opposition, who come from counties Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, as well as from north Cork, depend on the University of Limerick Hospital Group. On Monday, 23 September, 81 patients were on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick. Can the Minister imagine what it will be like on 23 January? This is the highest the figure has ever been and we are only in September. That is despite the best efforts of management and staff. I plead with the Government to make a direct intervention. I was on the telephone to Mr. Paul Reid this morning. He knows that it cannot continue, but he needs the Government's support to do what needs to be done.

The constant high number of trolleys, the lack of bed capacity and the outrageous spending on agency staff all contribute to a situation which is the worst I have seen in my political career. Since I stood here last week, the INMO has highlighted that there are over 100 nursing posts unfilled. Behind the bluster and spin on the capital plan which was buried by the Minister for Health during the summer, there has been no real progress in building the necessary 96 bed block. Amazingly, University Hospital Limerick, unlike other model four hospitals, has only one MRI scanner. It is 14 years old and was donated by a local philanthropist. It constantly breaks down. The hospital cannot afford to buy a new one - it would cost €6.5 million - because of the overrun on the national children's hospital. It would cost €1.2 million to rent one, something it cannot afford to do.

Slaintecare funding was announced with further fanfare last week. The mid-west got nothing. Patients' well-being is suffering greatly. Staff are going on sick leave at record levels because they cannot cope. Compared to other groups across Ireland, University Hospital Limerick needs 130 more doctors, 200 more health and social care professionals, 150 more nurses, 160 more beds, about an extra 50 transitional care packages, in addition to a new MRI scanner. Its spending is €40 million below that of other groups. The people of the mid-west who are represented by me and others in this House are being discriminated against at a level not seen before. They are suffering. People in their 90s are on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick. Their families are crying on the telephone to me. I am not talking about one or two calls, but calls made every single day of the week. The issue takes up more time than any other on my political calendar.

I have three questions for the Government. When will it remove the recruitment ban which is stopping over 100 nurses from being recruited in the UHL group? Will it, please, bring forward work on the 96 bed block and include it in the capital plan? Will the Minister commit to bringing a new MRI scanner into the hospital? Of the 81 patients on trolleys, at least 30 would not be there if the hospital had a scanner that worked.

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