Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has voiced his frustration at the government’s refusal to endorse solutions to end the constant crises in our hospitals.

Deputy Cullinane was speaking after a government amendment to a Sinn Féin motion tonight removed all proposals that would tackle the problems in our health system. 

Teachta Cullinane said:

“Sinn Féin this evening put forward proposals to the government and to the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly that would deliver more hospital beds, train more healthcare workers and hold the HSE to account.

“The solutions to solve the problems in our health service are no secret and there are no more lessons to be learned. Sinn Féin tonight articulated our plan to turn it around.

“But even when solutions are put forward to this government by the opposition, they stubbornly refuse to take them on board. 

“They need to take their heads out of the sand. Instead of taking ownership of the crises they have created and endorsing our proposals to fix them, the government’s amendment removed Sinn Féin’s solutions to the problems.

“Instead of ending the scandal of patients on trolleys, Fine Gael, after 12 years in government, have made it significantly worse. 

“And, one month on from Leo Varadkar returning as Taoiseach, it is clear that nothing has changed and that we are to expect more of the same from him and his government.

“They just don’t want to know. 

“We see it in health, we see it in housing, we see it in the cost of living crisis, and we see it in the scandals surrounding Damien English and Paschal Donohoe. 

“This government is out of time and out of ideas, and nothing will change until we have a change of government.”