Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I rise today to welcome last Friday’s news that the Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and the Minister of State, Deputy English, launched the recent development plan in Nenagh, with €18 million in investments for businesses to expand, as well as to avail of services such as Innovate Limerick and to work with different projects. As Local Enterprise Week is coming up, and will take place from 7 March onwards, it is good to get the message out to businesses that there are supporting services out there and that they should apply for them.

The other issue I want to raise is my concerns regarding University Hospital Limerick. I am like a wound-up record at this stage. I know that the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, visited the hospital recently. There are talks of HIQA carrying out an independent investigation. Yet, University Hospital Limerick is topping the charts in terms of trolley numbers. It has been doing so consistently for a long time and certainly, something has to happen. I acknowledge the Minister met staff and senior management but I believe we need to have a fresh pair of eyes looking at University Hospital Limerick to alleviate the plight of both the staff who are working there and of the patients. It is about safety as well and that patients feel safe when they visit University Hospital Limerick. Trolley numbers are definitely very high and have been consistently so for a while. Something has to happen about it. I believe it requires somebody independent to review it.