I want to raise the issue I have raised on a number of occasions on the floor of the Dáil, which is the programme for Government commitment to reduce overcrowding in the emergency departments. Clearly the Government has utterly failed on this. In my constituency, Letterkenny University Hospital has experienced some of the highest levels of hospital overcrowding anywhere in the State. Last year, 4,889 patients were lying on trolleys or chairs in the hospital's accident and emergency department. That is an average of 19 patients per day every day of 2017.

What is worse is that within metres of the trolleys on which people lie while many are in pain is a ward that is lying empty. It has 19 beds and could accommodate every person who was on a trolley last year in Letterkenny University Hospital. The management of that hospital requested the HSE to open the ward, along with €1.8 million to employ the staff. The hospital indicates it will not find it a challenge to recruit those staff.

Will the Tánaiste ensure the necessary resources are available to bring to an end the scandalous position where thousands of people are on hospital trolleys day in and day out and ensure the short-stay ward in Letterkenny can be opened?

I acknowledge there are far too many people on trolleys and chairs in hospitals who should be in beds in rooms. Some progress has been made in the area and there are now 13% fewer people on trolleys than was the case this time last year. Although there are still too many on trolleys, there are significantly fewer than in 2016. We are now spending more on healthcare in general than we have ever spent and we have a very significant capital investment programme that was outlined in our ten-year capital strategy for health provision, particularly with respect to hospital infrastructure. We will see improvements over time with more investment and better management.