Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will be sharing time with Deputy Noonan. I want to talk to the Minister about Limerick. There is concern in my city and county at the rise in trolley numbers at University Hospital Limerick, UHL. While I acknowledge the Minister's response to my constituency colleague, Deputy Quinlivan, many people locally have questions about the spare capacity in Barrington's hospital and why it is not being used. I do not want to make a political issue of it, but I plead with the Minister to give this House and the public some cause for hope. In recent years, the issue of overcrowding has been very damaging for confidence in the health service in the mid-west and while people have been very understanding of hospital workers throughout this pandemic, we need optimism that the situation can be solved in both the short and long terms. If we continue to make progress in reducing the spread of Covid-19, does the Minister expect the trolley numbers in UHL to return to pre-Covid levels in the coming months?

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