Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

At the start of the year, a major incident was declared at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, because of the number of people presenting in the accident and emergency department. In response a protocol was agreed whereby a limited number of patients could be brought by ambulance to Ennis instead. A meeting was held on 17 January with the Minister for Health, HSE senior management and the management of UHL as well as Oireachtas Members from the area. The Taoiseach's attendance at the meeting was noted and very welcome.

The acknowledgement by HSE management that UHL's model 2 hospitals such as Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's Hospital were underutilised was very welcome. At the meeting, I asked what additional resources would be provided to Ennis hospital in light of the new protocol and was told that a review would take place. It was implicit in the reply that those resources would be provided. Instead, all surgery stopped in Ennis for the month of January. Two newly equipped theatres lay idle and specialist staff were redeployed across the hospital.

I raised the under-resourcing of UHL with the Taoiseach's predecessor, Deputy Micheál Martin. I agree with him that it is not the Taoiseach's job to run a hospital but it is the Taoiseach's job to ensure that hospitals are adequately resourced within the constraints of national finances and that hospitals across the State are equally resourced. By any figures, UHL seems to be understaffed relative to the population of the region and relative to other regions and it is the Taoiseach's job to ensure that the existing resources are adequately managed.

Is the Taoiseach happy that the mid-west and UL Hospitals Group is adquately resourced relative to other parts of the State? If so, is he happy that those resources are being adequately managed?

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