Today in the Dáil the Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald challenged the Taoiseach to outline his plan to tackle chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick.

Figures today showed 82 patients without a bed at the hospital.

Ms McDonald said:

“In the Dáil yesterday the Taoiseach apologised to the over 500 people who were left waiting on a bed in Limerick and at hospitals across the State.

“At this point an apology is not enough.

“The Taoiseach dismissed my proposal for investment in our hospitals and in our health service. He said that the overcrowding ‘is not a matter of beds’. That is patent nonsense. For the 82 people waiting in Limerick today it very much is a matter of beds. And with his statement today the Taoiseach offered those people no hope and no solutions to this ongoing crisis.

“We need to move on from apologies and take action. Today I challenged the Taoiseach to lay out his plan for University Hospital Limerick because the situation is unsustainable. The solutions are there, he just needs to start implementing them.”