Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the reply. It is most interesting that what the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, gave the Minister of State to read to the House is an identical copy of the statement issued by Beaumont Hospital yesterday. Is the Minister for Health simply a nodding dog here? He has not even bothered to produce any new information at all. It is an identical copy of what Beaumont Hospital issued yesterday. I would expect more from the Minister.

I thank the Minister of State for attending. He is doing his job. However, the response from the Government is wholly inadequate and does nothing to allay my fears or, more importantly, the fears of the nursing staff, consultants and doctors within Beaumont Hospital who have a duty of care to patients. The problem here is that 33 acute surgical beds are being removed in the hospital with Ireland's second longest inpatient waiting lists. Whatever way one looks at it, that is a reduction. It is most unfortunate. I will be raising the matter again. While I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to give that answer, it is, unfortunately, word for word the answer Beaumont Hospital issued yesterday.