Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

There is a life-and-death catastrophe unfolding in the hospitals, especially in my own region at the moment. Eleven ambulances were stuck outside of Drogheda hospital last Saturday because there was not a bed, a chair or a trolley available for them. Seventeen consultants in Drogheda hospital wrote a letter to the Minister stating that it is a threat to the life and health of patients in the region if the Government proceeds with the closure of the accident and emergency unit in Navan. It is an incredible situation that we have an accident and emergency unit about to be closed in part from this Monday and, at the same time, we cannot get access to the other accident and emergency units in the region. There was no availability of ambulances in Cavan and Monaghan last Saturday night because those ambulances were tied up. We need a proper debate about the crisis in accident and emergency units across the State before these decisions are made.

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