Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

That was not an unreasonable request; it was simply because he refused time and again to come to the House to talk about the issues of the day. His own colleagues were calling for this and we put the matter to a vote at least 15 times in this House. When I finally reached the end of my tether, I said I would withdraw from the House this evening if the Minister did not turn up. Other Ministers take the time to attend. I accept that a Minister will always have scheduling difficulties but when the Minister for Health did not appear, I had to make a stand. I thank my colleagues for being present today to support me because they also have issues in their constituencies that relate to the Minister which they would like to discuss. I know they will have an opportunity to do so.

On Monday there were 53 people on trolleys in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. Considerable investment was made in the hospital by the last Government. There is a huge extension that provides first-class services to people if it can hold the number of people who want to use those services. The Fianna Fáil Party and HSE were criticised, often justifiably, particularly by the current Minister, when there was a large number of people on trolleys, but in the last general election the Minister promised the sun, moon and stars. I was with him on a platform in Navan where he promised the people of Drogheda and the north east in general that change would happen. In September 2010, under a Fianna Fáil Government and an independent HSE board, 331 people spent time on trolleys in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. In September 2011, when the current Minister was in control of the HSE and after he had put his own officials on the board - I applaud him for taking control because it is important that the Minister have responsibility - 842 patients spent time on trolleys. This is scandalous. There has been an almost threefold increase in the number of people on trolleys.

What will the Minister do about this? Given that I accept that he cares about patients and I care about patients in my area, the circumstances that obtain must not be allowed to continue. I have had family members in the accident and emergency department in the hospital regularly. This is inevitable when one has three children and a wife who plays football. They have received an excellent service but the staff are under severe pressure. People's lives and well-being are being put at risk. Other parties have submitted complaints to HIQA on this. We await its response with trepidation because, if any action is taken against the accident and emergency department in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, I do not know where we would go in case of emergency.

When the Minister sacked the board of the Health Service Executive, it was supposed to be the start of something radical and fresh that would make the lives of people different. We asked at the time what the changing of the faces on the board would mean for the ordinary person. It means that the ordinary person in the north east who is using the emergency services in the hospital is now three times more likely to spend time on a trolley.

It is too serious an issue on which to stifle debate. The Government parties in this House have stifled debate on health services time and again. I have worked out that this has occurred in 15 cases. Senator O'Keeffe often talks about cancer services in Sligo, and rightly so, but every time we put these issues to a vote, nobody wants the Minister to come to the House to discuss them. While I am sorry I had to make my threat today, the Minister is welcome. I want to hear exactly what he will do about trolleys in the north east. We look forward to the improvements promised on foot of changing the board of the HSE. The new members are actually the Minister's staff and civil servants. The Minister is responsible; let us hear his answer.