Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I join in the good wishes to the Tánaiste and wish her well in the onerous task she faces. The situation is critical but it is not necessary to get hysterical and emotional about what is happening. The problem must be dealt with in a planned and positive way. Investment is required to enable it to be dealt with and it is available now more than ever. It was a joke to hear Ben Dunne on "Liveline" with Joe Duffy saying he would give €30,000 for a prefab. If he had said €30 million, I would have taken him seriously. He seems to have much money to give away but that is a side issue.

I wish to make a case for the accident and emergency unit in Ennis General Hospital. A working plan for Ennis General Hospital was prepared by the former health board, the Department of Health and Children, the consultants and the people of Ennis. After many years work, the control plan for Ennis General Hospital was approved by the Department in December last. The Department has sent the detailed plan, which took professional people many years to prepare and which has been costed, to the Health Service Executive. The top priority in the plan for the phased development of Ennis General Hospital is for immediate action to be taken to deal with overcrowding and the critical situation in the accident and emergency unit in the hospital.

The Shannon Doc service is working very efficiently in Kilrush and other parts of County Clare and it should be possible to establish and attach small minor accident units to such services. Much of the overcrowding, especially in the regional areas, such as Limerick and Ennis, could be resolved if some of the minor injuries people suffer on building sites or otherwise were dealt with in a local acute unit attached say to the Shannon Doc service, one of the general hospitals or one of the hospitals for the elderly. This would alleviate the pressure on accident and emergency units.

Approximately 80% of people who present at accident and emergency units are discharged. Some attend with minor injuries and may need further attention. If a minor injuries unit were attached to the Shannon Doc service in Kilrush, people injured in Moneypoint, Kilrush or in west Clare could get immediate treatment. In most cases, it would only necessitate some bandaging or minor work and would alleviate much of the pressure on the accident and emergency unit in Ennis General Hospital.

It is critically important to push ahead with the development of Ennis General Hospital. The outline development plan is available, the costing has been done and the detailed specifications and so on have been set out in the plan which is to be phased. It is long overdue. The priority in the plan is to deal with the current staffing and accommodation issues in the accident and emergency unit in Ennis General Hospital. I would like the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, to convey that to the Tánaiste. I wish her well and I hope immediate action is taken on some of these plans which have been in the Department for some time.