Patients on Trolleys Continue to Rise – Crowe

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has said it is unacceptable that the Dáil will not sit until 6th of April despite the fact that there 437 patients on hospital trolleys on Tuesday when Dáil last met. Last month there were 8,885 admitted patients on trolleys.Crowe said that TDs need to be allowed to do what they were elected to do, Ministers need to be held accountable for their actions or inactions as the case may be.

Deputy Sean Crowe said:

“On Tuesday the 22nd March, as the Dáil sat 437 patients lay on trolleys in hospitals right across the State, including 17 on trolleys and on trolleys or chairs in wards in Tallaght Hospital.

“The Dáil had a day of statements that will not bring one iota of change for ordinary citizens. It  now stands adjourned until the 6th of April.

“That is simply unacceptable particularly given that there were 437 patients on hospital trolleys and 8,885 patients last month.

“Despite the Government and Minister Leo Varadkars claim that they are addressing the issue the crisis in our health and especially in our Hospital Emergency Departments is largely undiminished.

“The constant overcrowding is not good for patients, their health or for hard pressed hospital staff.

“The reality is that the Dáil should be meeting today, Ministers could be taking questions and being held to account, motions and legislation could and should be getting voted on.

“Instead we are left with this farcial situation where talking and posturing are the order of the day and the real work is pushed down the road for another day.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael dont seem to be any hurry to resolve this impasse and seem content to jockey for position to prevent any real change in how we do business.

“All the while the Dáil dithers the crisis in Health gets worse the numbers of patients on trolleys  continues to rise and nothing of substance is being done to address the problem.”