Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too acknowledge last night's debate on Belarus. It was a very strong, positive message from the Seanad. The House has a great record when it comes to sending out clear messages about wrongdoing in the world. We need to continue with those debates.

During a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health this morning I raised the issue of University Hospital Limerick with the Minister. In the past few days, 82 people were on trolleys despite the fact that a 60-bed modular unit was commissioned and built in the hospital within the past 18 months or so. We are still in a situation where 82 people are on trolleys. God only knows what it will be like in January. I put that to the Minister and I did not get a satisfactory reply. We need a debate in this House on how emergency departments throughout the country are being managed. We also need a debate on the winter plan once it is published. It is totally unacceptable that we keep pouring resources into University Hospital Limerick and yet we are not dealing with the issue.

Like everybody else, I welcome the announcement of the NDP and the €165 billion in aspirational funding that is in it. Some of the projects are up and running while others are on their way to being completed, which is very welcome. I welcome the elements of the plan that support rural Ireland through broadband services and so on, but we need to get real about wastewater and sewerage systems in towns and villages throughout the country. In County Clare, there is a need for wastewater facilities to be built in places such as Doolin, Carrigaholt, Cooraclare and Broadford, to name only four. I will specifically talk about Doolin because it is operating at almost 100% capacity for approximately ten months of the year, but it could do so much more. Many people in Doolin are prepared to invest in developing products, accommodation, tourism facilities and so on. They cannot do it, however, because if they apply for planning permission they will not get it on the basis that the wastewater and sewerage system is at capacity. Let us get the basics right and development will happen. I would like a debate on the issue of wastewater and sewerage development in rural Ireland, especially in areas where investment can happen if the structure and infrastructure is in place.