Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I add my support to the abolition of hospital charges amounting to €800 in one year. If we were to provide universal health insurance those charges would have no place in the system. I ask the Minister to also look at the charges for hospital parking. Some hospitals do offer discounted assistance for regular visitors but, for example, I know of one family where the family members were coming in four, five and six times a day to hydrate their mother in the hospital and they were all paying for parking every day, and getting very little discount for it. I do not believe it is fair to put that burden on people. I ask the Minister to look at that. This also applies around the country.

I acknowledge the recent heroism of the staff in Wexford General Hospital who, through their actions, undoubtedly saved lives. We could have had a terrible tragedy down there had the fire occurred at night time when the full staff complement was not available. They did a tremendous job, including moving four people on ventilators out of the intensive care unit. I do not believe they got enough recognition for that at all. I am aware that the Minister is looking at trying to figure out capital supports to get the unit back up and running, but in the meantime that fire has caused significant movement of patients into the University Hospital Waterford accident and emergency department, as the Minister well knows.

In the last number of days 300 patients presented at the accident and emergency department in Waterford in a 24-hour period. Just 12 hours ago the hospital sent a tweet asking people not to attend because the accident and emergency department is overcrowded. What is the Minister doing to support the accident and emergency department in Waterford? What staff have been rotated out of Wexford and what additional budget is the Minister allowing for? What other movements of staff are happening to try to deal with the accident and emergency situation there?

I had a discussion yesterday with the Taoiseach regarding the catheterisation laboratory and the 24-7 situation in Waterford. I was glad that the Taoiseach acknowledged that the Government's position was to deliver that in due course, albeit that he put in a caveat today regarding a review. That is fair enough because it is a review based on numbers, which we will absolutely exceed.

See this speech in context