Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

During the past two weeks, I have been contacted by three people whose operations at University College Hospital, Galway were cancelled on more than one occasion. Last year 3,334 people had their operations cancelled. This year, it seems that number will be matched. It is one of the worst rates of cancellations, second only to that at St. James's Hospital in Dublin. We are informed it is due to a shortage of beds, yet more than 40 beds lie idle in the hospital. Up to 60 beds lay idle this time last year.

The Minister for Health and Children and the Health Service Executive do not want to make these beds available as they are being preserved for the elimination of problems in the hospital's accident and emergency department. It is unfair that people must suffer and be denied operations to give a good look to accident and emergency statistics. The Minister for Health and Children must debate the crisis in the health service. It is unfair that beds lie idle and people are denied operations for which they have waited up to six months in some cases. The Minister must be called to account and inform the House if she is in control of the service. Will she provide the funding for the nursing staff for these beds?