Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not want to repeat what has already been said, but I wanted to meet and speak to the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, because he is my neighbour in Wicklow. I have been dealing with him in regard to a particular case, which I am sure the Minister of State has heard of, involving the respite centre, Tír na nÓg, which at this stage has been closed for more than a year. Even though we are getting information every few weeks from the HSE, and I am constantly ringing the HSE, I still have not been told when the respite service will open and where it will be. It is unacceptable.

To go back to what previous speakers said, the situation regarding accident and emergency departments, hospital trolleys and the people waiting on them is unacceptable. I know the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State are doing their best, but every year for at least the past nine or ten years, the Minister for Health of the time has, particularly at Christmas which seems to be the peak, apologised for the system. That is unacceptable given that we are now in 2017. I can give the Minister of State the example of two cases that were raised with me in the past two days where families rang me, but I could give many more examples. In one case, a particular elderly man was brought to hospital in Kilkenny. He was put in the special unit and was there for a day or two. They took him out and put him on a trolley on the corridor, which is unacceptable. I have been ringing and he is still on the corridor.

I then had a lady, who is 82, who was admitted yesterday into the new accident and emergency department in Kilkenny - which I have to say is lovely - because she fell and broke her hip. They had to leave her in the accident and emergency department last night because they had no bed for her in a ward. I did not allow her to be put on the corridor. I told them she was not going on the corridor. I do not know if it worked but I insisted that an 82 year old lady was not to be put on a corridor because it is unacceptable.

I am here today, looking at us all and wondering who is to blame. I think we are to blame, and I think the people of Ireland, Deputies and ourselves need to look at this issue. We need to start getting out and picketing. We need to hold rallies and we need to make sure that in 2018 we do not see the same figures that we have seen this year of people waiting on trolleys. I received some figures that show up to 400 people are on trolleys every week in Irish hospitals. That is unacceptable. It is unacceptable because we pay our taxes. Many of these people seem to be elderly. They have their pride and their dignity and they do not want to be on a corridor on a trolley. I ask the Minister of State to raise this issue with the Minister, Deputy Harris. It is so important that, if nothing else this year, the trolley situation is sorted out and that we start either to build wards or reopen wards, because the problem is that we have wards that are not being opened. The reason we have that situation is because we do not have enough staff. We are also told that it is a health and safety issue. I am really annoyed because I find lately that I am getting more representations from families about this issue and I cannot help them. It is unacceptable. It is a very broken system.

I have mentioned respite and I would also like to mention Holy Angels, which is a school for children with special needs in Carlow. Five years ago it was promised a new school. I will compliment the Minister, Deputy Harris, because six months ago he came down and provided €150,000 for a leaking roof and some other works, but that is not good enough. We have been told that Holy Angels will get the money to build a new school this year. It is needed because Holy Angels cannot take in children because it has not got the proper facilities or space. A bigger school is needed because children on that waiting list are not being looked after.

Mental health is a massive issue all over Ireland. Statistics were given this week for areas that do not have aftercare like the mental health service in Carlow. There is a service there and everyone in it is working so hard. I compliment them, but there is no after-hours service. Again, we were on that list, because there is no service after 5 p.m. That is unacceptable.

I welcome the packages the Minister, Deputy Harris, mentioned. They are good because people are living longer and they want to stay in their homes. Putting a system and a fair deal in place for these people will help because many people do not want to go into homes or hospitals. They want to stay at home. We need to look at that in the long term, and I know the Minister of State will take this back to the Minister. I know he is doing his best but it is a very broken system. Unless somebody is accountable and responsible, we will be back here in 2018 and we will have the same system. It is not good enough.