Dee Ryan (Fianna Fail)

An tAire Stáit is welcome to the Chamber, and I thank him for coming to take this matter. I raise this matter once more. It is the number one priority for people living in Limerick and a huge concern for people across the mid-west, including in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. It came up at more doors than housing in Limerick during the general election campaign. That is how sincerely people in Limerick feel about the issue. If the Minister of State lived in Limerick, he would feel this way too.

To recap, there are 450,000 people across Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary. The University Hospital Limerick, UHL, group is the hospital group which operates the region with one accident and emergency department. It is the only hospital group in the country that operates with just one accident and emergency department to serve its population. We have had chronic overcrowding for the past 15 years. We have had record high numbers of patients on trolleys. Just this morning, UHL is again the hospital with the most patients on trolleys in the country. The HSE's population profiles show that more than an average number of amount of people living in the mid-west would be classed as extremely disadvantaged, very disadvantaged or disadvantaged. I will say that again. We have higher than average levels of people in the normal population in the country classed as extremely disadvantaged, very disadvantaged or disadvantaged. We know that there is a correlation between poverty and complex health needs, and, therefore, a greater number of presentations to accident and emergency departments.

I acknowledge the progress that has been made, particularly during the term of the previous Government when staffing numbers were increased by approximately 100,000 healthcare workers across the UHL group. The first 96-bed block is due to open in September, and we are very much looking forward to that. The Minister has been to Limerick and has had a tour of the facility. The second 96-bed block that was commissioned is under way. A total of 16 rapid-build beds were put in place in December last year and a further 16 have been committed to. I understand they will go in this summer. The former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, announced last November a further 84 beds.

This all sounds like great news, and I know and understand that these measures will help to alleviate the problem. However, they are not helping in the here and now. We are already very worried about this winter. We have the highest level of patients on trolleys across the country. The majority of people presenting to accident and emergency departments are elderly people. If an elderly loved one in my family has a slip or a trip and has to go into the accident and emergency department, he or she will be facing a much longer wait, with less frequent access to care, than any other person in the country. That is simply not fair. The people of Limerick and the mid-west are very worried.

I received notice from the office of the Minister last Friday that the HIQA report into accident and emergency care across the mid-west region, commissioned by the previous Minister has been delayed. It was expected to be presented to the current Minister in May and published when she was ready to publish it. I appreciate that the Minister has a lot of important and pressing healthcare matters on her plate. However, my question is that regardless of the recommendations of the HIQA report - and I note that the programme for Government committed to putting more beds into UHL - what actions is the Minister preparing for this winter, as we face into another seasonal surge in illness and as we anxiously anticipate higher than ever trolley numbers?