Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In 2011, the then Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, vowed to bring an end to hospital overcrowding. All these years later, that vow has still not come to fruition. Many other promises made at the time did not come to fruition either but today is not the day to go into all of that. Never before have so many people been waiting on trolleys. Never before have so many old people been left waiting on trolleys for more than 24 hours. This is only the start of the winter. We have not had a flu epidemic or major crisis, yet there is an overcrowding crisis. What will it be like if there is a problem further down the road?

There are ways to deal with this, including addressing delayed discharge and providing more home supports and financial help for general hospitals. I have spoken to the Minister many times about Bantry General Hospital in my constituency. Rural general hospitals could ease the pressure on hospitals in Cork city. I ask the Minister to do his best and sort out this overcrowding problem.

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