Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The situation at SUH is at breaking point. We have the highest percentage of over-65s in the country, which means we have the greatest demand. We have a bed occupancy rate of about 110%, which is well over the national average of 90% and very dangerously over the acceptable international level of 85%. In other words, people in Sligo are dying because we cannot live up to rates that can be guaranteed to be below 85%. That is a fact.

An unprecedented number of senior consultants serving the catchment area from SUH have shared the despair they are suffering at the hands of our inaction and ambivalence and our inordinate talent for filing reports, doing surveys, researching, agreeing, planning, talking, debating, discussing and finally delivering nothing.

I acknowledge the commitments given to me during the motion of no confidence last July and to Dr. Donal Murray and cardiologists at SUH on improvements the Minister was prepared to provide and the money was provided in the recent budget. I also acknowledge that the 30-plus staff needed to open the already ready-to-go four additional ICU beds at SUH are provided for in this budget but, as Deputy Harkin rightly said, we cannot attract people to Sligo. If you talk to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, it will tell you things were advertised for six months or a year but nobody responded. We need critical and urgent action this time.

See this speech in context