Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like other Deputies who represent the mid-west, I draw the Minister's attention to the crisis at University Hospital Limerick. From an accident and emergency perspective, it is wholly unacceptable. I do not want to fan the flames or personalise this matter. The whole political process and a whole-of-Government approach are needed here. I will cite a couple of cases that I have found striking. One relates to a woman who spent five days on a trolley in the past week. That case has been well versed in the local media and I am sure the Minister has heard about it. In another case, only last month, a farmer in his 70s who collapsed on his farm was rushed to the accident and emergency department in Limerick where he spent two days on a trolley in his dirty farm clothes. He was squashed beside a patient with ulcerated legs. If that does not flag a serious crisis in terms of cross-contamination, what does? A fantastic new facility accident and emergency facility has been built at the hospital but there are enough beds in the hospital or in the catchment area to get patients through the system. That is a serious issue.

On waiting lists, I understand the reason for the focus on accident and emergency departments because that is the front line. I will give the Minister three examples of constituents who are on waiting lists. A 70 year old woman, who is incontinent, has been waiting for three years to get an appointment. To date, I have been able to get an appointment date for her. There was much talk last week about the respect and dignity that was not afforded to a prisoner who had to slop out. What kind of respect or dignity has been shown to a woman who has been waiting for three years to have an issue with incontinence addressed? Can the Minister imagine what that does to that woman? It beggars belief. In another case, a 55 year old woman with an arthritic condition has been waiting three years for an appointment. Even using the parliamentary questions process, I have been unable to get a date for her. Another woman of 65 years of age has been waiting for a year to see a consultant about a hip complaint. She was told via a parliamentary question that I tabled that she would wait for at least four years. Somebody in the health service wrote to her informing her she would get an appointment within four years, after which she will have to go back on the list to have surgery done. I could go on but I am giving the Minister a flavour of the issue.

The Minister is also an elected politician who meets people every day. This problem is not his fault per sebut he has the responsibility to try to find a solution. I ask him and his Government colleagues to develop a process to end to this outrageous situation which people must encounter.

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