David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Neither my party nor I has any desire to use the issue of ICU capacity to blame Fine Gael or anybody else for the spread of the virus. To do so would be disingenuous. However, we are very concerned about capacity in hospitals. I have spoken to many hospital managers in recent days. In my region, the south east, University Hospital Waterford had one spare ICU bed yesterday. The hospital manager told me there has been a massive increase in hospital admissions, with 176 admissions yesterday. There was a significant increase in trauma cases and because there was no ICU capacity in hospitals in Wexford or Tipperary there was significant demand for transfers into University Hospital Waterford. Hospital managers have told me that without additional capacity we are facing a very real problem and that what has been promised in terms of additional ICU and acute beds simply will not be enough. Will the Tánaiste tell them that if more beds than those committed to in the winter plan are needed, as I believe they are, the Government will make those resources available as soon as possible?

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