Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. When the protocol was introduced, it was quite positive. It was at a time when we are at an all-out crisis at UHL. The figure of 72 patients between Ennis and Nenagh hospitals is a combined figure. I would love to hear a figure for Ennis in particular because, in the first month following the protocol, we were still down to single-digit figures for how many were coming in there. We would love to be transformative but there is a huge caveat: this cannot be at the expense of those waiting for day surgery at Ennis. It cannot tie up other hospital capacity. We would love to hear what is happening in that regard and how the two are being separated. How do the two coexist so the hospital is able to function day to day?

The Minister might offer some commentary on the additional funding for Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's hospitals announced the other day. That was a bundled figure. We would love to hear that the MAU - the local injuries unit - will move to more hours per day, although it already runs on a seven-day basis. Perhaps it could move to 18 hours per day, eventually moving up to a 24-7 facility.

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