Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last week and during the weekend, there was a lot of talk about a certain Minister being thrown under a bus. I think that is misconceived. Ministers do not go near buses. They are driven around. People get thrown under buses, in particular the people of the mid-west. One in five of the people on trolleys across the country are in the mid-west. There are 104 today. The Taoiseach visited the mid-west and the hospital in Dooradoyle after becoming Taoiseach and I commended him on that. This House passed a motion calling for the expansion of the local injuries units in Nenagh, Ennis and St. John's Hospital to 24 hours per day, seven days per week. That has not happened. In fact, there has been no increase at all in the times they are open. I am aware of a constituent who got a small cut on his head at football training the other night. It had to be stitched. He had to go down to Limerick and join those queuing. What is going to be different for people in the mid-west this winter compared with last winter with regard to overcrowding? It is dangerous for patients and the staff who work there. What is going to be different?

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