Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today, I want to raise a very serious situation that is developing at University Hospital Kerry. The situation is chaotic at this stage. The emergency department has been under severe pressure for some time now, but this week surgeons in the hospital wrote to GPs asking that non-urgent referrals for surgery not be sent to them because there are already 2,200 people awaiting assessment at the hospital. The situation has been deteriorating for some time and it now deserves intervention at the highest levels of government. I met the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, earlier this week.

I also called for a full briefing for County Kerry Oireachtas Members from the South/South West Hospital Group and University Hospital Kerry to discuss this matter and see if a plan can be put in place to address the issues. It is totally unacceptable and the people of County Kerry deserve a better health service than they are getting.

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