Medics shone spotlight on crisis
However, it was not until the death of a 65-year-old man left untreated in a trolley-filled corridor that more than political lip service was paid to addressing the problem.
The Hiqa investigation was instigated after the death of Thomas Walsh on Mar 2 last year at the facility. Mr Walsh, from Elmcastle Park in Tallaght, Dublin, lost his life after initially attending the day before suffering from severe ankle pain.