David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The reason there is a number of speakers is that this relates to the Saolta University Health Care Group and the latest data which have come from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Irish Patients Association regarding the number of patients in the north-west and west region who are on long waiting lists. In addition, the trolley count is particularly high. In fact, it is the highest of any part of the country. Last week alone, and despite the fact that there were widespread cancellations of elective surgeries in all the hospitals in the Saolta group, there were 614 patients on trolleys. There were 226 in Letterkenny, 169 in Galway and 104 in Sligo. I have very little time, but there are particular problems in this region and in this group. The question we are asking, and I have raised this directly with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, is: what can be done to ensure that whatever resources need to be put into all those hospitals to reduce the waiting times and take people off trolleys is done?

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