Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too wish to join Senator Ardagh in passing our sympathies to the family of the lady in Galway who died in the horrific accident in which a caravan was blown off a cliff.

I raise the fact that 52 people are currently on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick. This is the highest number of people on trolleys in any hospital in the country, despite the recent opening of 17 extra short-stay beds in the hospital. The hospital is under increasing pressure and I pay tribute to the staff members, who work in very uneasy conditions in which people constantly wait on trolleys while in need of care and attention. University Hospital Limerick is on the shortlist for extra beds and is awaiting 89 units, with 120 beds to be assigned to St. John's Hospital. However, University Hospital Limerick seems to be at the top of the list all the time. Extra beds must be provided as a matter of urgency to alleviate this issue as it is the main hospital for the mid-west. To return to the storm, a great number of emergency services and crews were out on the roads today. I pay tribute to the emergency services for the work they did today, because many trees have been felled and people have been injured in cars, and I thank them for their sterling work.