Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I raise this matter because it is of significant importance in County Clare. I was on the way to Dublin on Tuesday while I listened to local radio. An independent councillor for whom I would have much regard in County Clare, Councillor Ann Norton, relayed her experience in the accident and emergency unit in University Hospital Limerick, where her daughter had been a patient. She outlined a series of events that were very worrying. The Government and the Minister have invested significantly, particularly capital investment, in trying to deal with the ongoing challenges people face in the accident and emergency unit in University Hospital Limerick. The Government has opened a new unit in Limerick at a cost of more than €20 million to try to deal with the problem of people waiting on trolleys, etc. It was very disappointing to hear of Councillor Norton's experience with her daughter, as well as the experience of others who have approached me in recent times to say that people are on trolleys for significant periods at the hospital accident and emergency department. The Government has made an investment in excess of €20 million but the problem persists.

After the Government and Minister have invested such money to deal with the problem, why are we in this position in Limerick, with people on hospital trolleys waiting to be dealt with? Is there another issue of which people are not aware? Perhaps there is a management issue. I tabled this matter because I am very concerned about what is happening in Limerick. It affects not only people in Limerick but those who live in north and south Tipperary, as well as County Clare.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Conway for raising this very important issue. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, who wishes that I update the House on the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick.

There is no doubt that too many patients continue to wait on trolleys for admission to hospitals on a daily basis. I wish to acknowledge the distress that overcrowding in emergency departments causes to patients, their families and the front-line staff who work in extremely difficult conditions in hospitals throughout the country.

Tackling overcrowding in emergency departments is a key commitment of this Government, and additional funding of €40 million has been made available in 2017, as part of the 2018 budget, to address the winter pressures on waiting lists across the country. This additional funding is aimed at reducing overcrowding in our hospital, including University Hospital Limerick through the provision of extra capacity and additional support.

The emergency department at University Hospital Limerick is one of the busiest in the country with 65,000 attendances annually. Demand for service in the emergency department continues to rise. The HSE data for the end of October 2017 indicated that attendance at the emergency department has risen by almost 5% and that admissions through the emergency department has increased by more than 10% as compared to the same period last year. In recognition of the high demand, funding of €24 million was provided for the new emergency department at University Hospital Limerick, which opened in May 2017. The new emergency department is three times the size of the former emergency department and provides modern, safe and fit for purpose facilities that meets patients' and families' expectations. At the same time the new facility provides high quality comfortable accommodation that protects patients' privacy and dignity. Notwithstanding this investment, the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick continues to be challenged and there are too many patients on trolleys on a daily basis. Mindful of this issue, the Minister for Health and his officials in the Department convened a meeting in October with the chief executive officer of the University Hospital Limerick and the HSE to discuss this issue. Following this meeting, an emergency department improvement plan was submitted by the University Limerick Hospital Group. The plan is being implemented and is being monitored by the Department of Health. In addition, as part of the €40 million funding announced for the winter measures as part of budge 2018, 17 new beds have been opened in University Hospital Limerick in December and this site is availing of four additional home care packages and two additional transitional care beds per week during the winter months. In addition, as part of a proactive and integrated approach to winter planning, the hospital groups, hospitals and the community healthcare organisations, CHOs, and primary care providers have put in place winter plans in order that the health service is ready for the increased demand for health services and, in particular, for emergency department services in the months ahead. I can confirm that University Hospital Limerick has such a plan in place.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the detail in the Minister of State's reply. It is worrying to think that after an investment of €24 million in building the new emergency department in University Hospital Limerick the Minister has had to request a meeting with the chief executive officer of that hospital group in order to ascertain the reason people are on trolleys for unacceptable periods. I have taken this opportunity to highlight the issue and I sincerely hope that during the Christmas period as few as possible will have to experience lying on a trolley in University Hospital Limerick.

I commend the Minister on making a capital investment of €24 million in the hospital, which is a significant investment. I hope the CEO of the hospital group will deal with the management issues so as to ensure that people will have a comfortable experience when they attend the accident and emergency department in University Hospital Limerick. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, for coming to this House to address the issue.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge Senator Conway's contribution this morning. Let me assure him that the Minister, Deputy Harris, and his officials will continue to monitor the performance of the emergency department. Members of the Oireachtas are concerned about the significant numbers attending emergency departments, particularly during the winter months. This puts major pressure on hospital staff. It is heart-wrenching to hear personal stories, be they on the radio or the television of people having to wait for lengthy periods, feeling that they are not progressing up the list. Let me assure the Senator that even in St. James's Hospital in my constituency, I know the staff are dedicated to implementing the programme of the HSE to be able to deal with the incoming patients at this time of the year. However, even after the significant investment in University Hospital Limerick, there seems to be other problems that need to be ironed out. I will bring this to the Minister's attention and I will ask him to reply personally to Senator Conway.