Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has called on the Minister for Health to publish the 2018-2019 Winter Initiative.
Deputy Kelly said:
“In the Dáil today, the Tánaiste made it quite clear that the Government have yet to set out plans as how they are going to avoid another winter of discontent in our hospitals.
“We are now nearing the end of October and we still haven’t seen sight of the now annual winter initiative plan.
“Today according to the INMO, 391 people are lying on trolleys in hospitals across the country. If this is what it is like on a balmy autumn day, what kind of chaos can we expect on a dreary and cold December afternoon?
“Minister Harris needs to put on record what the package for this year’s initiative is and how the HSE plan to attract nurses to Ireland to deal with this crisis.
“Those who need to use our hospitals deserve to be treated in a timely manner and provided with world class treatment. Overcrowding of our A&Es and long waiting lists are symptoms of a system that requires better organisation and more people.”