Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Since December, we have done everything possible to alleviate the current problems in health. More than 1,000 beds have been reopened or freed up but the demand for health care created by our rising and aging population means that the service is still struggling to meet that demand. While the actions we have taken may have alleviated the pressure temporarily, they are not a sustainable or appropriately planned approach and further demands will arise in 2015, including over the coming winter. That is why we must return to planned service levels as soon as we can, but only when the safety of patients is no longer at risk of being compromised.

I am absolutely determined that there should be a continuing focus on emergency department overcrowding and a renewed focus on making sure that the longest waiters get their appointments, scans and operations. It will be necessary for clinicians and administrative management to work hard together to implement changes in processes as well as in respect of day-to-day service delivery to solve this problem. None of these things can be done quickly and none can be done without additional cost, at least initially. However, it can be done and I will do my best to drive it forward. Ireland should be a country in which one can grow old with dignity. The long trolley waits which have dogged previous Governments as well as our own should be consigned to history. I commend the amendment and reject the motion.