Opposition hit out at failure to recognise health service crisis

Opposition parties today criticised the Government for taking nine years to recognise the situation in A&E departments as a national emergency.

Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney has said that a series of measures will be taken to address the crisis, such as providing extra beds in A&E areas to reduce the number of people sleeping overnight on trolleys.

At leader’s questions in the Dáil, Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said the situation had steadily deteriorated since Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats came to power in 1997.

“Nine years after your government took over responsibility for the health service, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health (Mary Harney) declares a national emergency.”

He said the 10-point plan announced by Mrs Harney to tackle the A&E crisis in November 2004 had failed.

“The situation has got worse. There were 384 patients on trolleys yesterday according to the Irish Nurses Organisation. What exactly is in this national emergency plan that’s going to be different?”

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Government response to the A&E crisis was driven by political desperation, with the prospect of a general election looming.

“This is a government that has failed to use the wealth of this country to deliver the most basic part of the health service.

“It is a government that has run out of ideas. To use the medical shorthand it is TATT, tired all the time,” he said.

But Taoiseach Bertie Ahern accused Mr Kenny of trying to make political points instead of acknowledging the improvements made in the health service.

“The only fear that you have is that we might resolve the issue,” he said.

He became agitated when his replies were interrupted by shouts from the opposition backbenches and accused Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte of co-ordinating a campaign against him.

“I will ask my colleagues to stay quiet for you as I should. But you will ask your colleagues to stay quiet for me.”

Mr Ahern said that since the Government had come to power, 1,000 extra hospital beds had been provided, 35,000 health service staff had been hired and 3,000 people were being offered home help.

“It is internationally recognised that our health service is a good health service. Because of that people are living longer, they’re getting to see far more specialists. We’re dealing with disabilities far more effectively.”

He said that with the newly-set up A&E task force, the Government was trying to put in the resources and staffing to deal with the problem.

Sinn Fein TD Caoimhin O’Caolain said it was baffling that Ms Harney was only recognising the A&E crisis now and questioned whether she was the best person to eliminate the divide in the health system between public and private patients.

But Mr Ahern said Ms Harney had been the first Minister for Health since the 1960s to properly tackle the issue of renegotiating the contracts of the country’s 2,000 consultants.

He said the negotiations on this “difficult issue” were still ongoing.

“We do think that without losing the professionalism that we have, that we could make changes. It’s not a question of any excuses. But we do need the co-operation of those in the medical service. What we need is people working collectively to try to resolve the problems,” he said.