Dáil debates

Thursday, 7 April 2022

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

 

12:40 pm

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of Sinn Féin, I also want to wish Teresa well and thank her for her years of service to all of us in this House. I wish Noel and Liam well in their new posts.

Today, some 84,000 people over the age of 75 are languishing on hospital waiting lists, an increase of 80% since 2014. The Government cannot blame the pandemic on this because before we knew about Covid, these lists were rising rapidly, by a shocking 10% per year. More than 25,000 people over the age of 75 are waiting a year for a first hospital consultation. Hospital overcrowding is now at record levels. Emergency departments are overflowing. We should all bear in mind the shocking fact that 4,500 people aged over 75 have been waiting in emergency departments for over 24 hours thus far this year. The CEO of the HSE said yesterday that the Government waiting list plan is already challenged by this overcrowding. What is the Government going to do to tackle the lengthy waiting lists and deliver timely health care for our older citizens who it is clearly failing?

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