Health minister defends 'comprehensive' HSE winter plan, despite queues in A&Es

Mental Health Minister Mary Butler, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, and National Forensic Mental Health Service clinical director, Brenda Wright, at the official opening of the Central Mental Hospital in Portrane Co Dublin. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

The problems facing the Irish health service this winter were “predictable”, but the Government is increasing capacity “at a record level” to try to relieve the pressure, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said.

Speaking at the opening of the new Central Mental Hospital in Portrane, north Dublin, Mr Donnelly said that more investment was being put in in a bid to ensure that people waiting “too long on trolleys becomes a thing of the past” and pointed to problems other jurisdictions are having in terms of pressures on health services.