Page 11 of A Programme for a Partnership Government refers to the Government's ambition for the health service. Today 56 people are on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick, which is an extremely high number in one hospital in one day, as I am sure the Taoiseach will agree. It is more shocking to know that today a record has been broken in that more than 10,000 people have been on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick so far this year. The figure is actually 10,028 people who have so far lingered on trolleys. It is a disgraceful new record set under this Government. When will my constituents in Limerick be provided with a health service that is not bursting at the seams with dangerous overcrowding? When will the long promised additional beds be delivered?

Across the country at 8 a.m. today, there were 378 adult patients on trolleys.

It was 518 people.

Obviously that number will be much lower by now and most of those patients will be in beds by the afternoon. This is a 12% increase on the same day last year, but it is down 16% on this time two years ago. Once again we see enormous variation from hospital to hospital. There are no patients on trolleys in Beaumont Hospital, two in Connolly Hospital, five in University Hospital Waterford and as many as 43 in Tallaght hospital. There is also a very large number in Limerick hospital. University Hospital Limerick, as Deputies are aware, has a new emergency department, a bigger budget, more staff and a new wing, the Leben wing, so clearly some work needs to be done there.

On a point of order, the figure was 518 patients.

The Deputies have asked their questions. I call Deputy Sherlock.

I wish to raise the issue of the welfare of children throughout the State. Today we had the publication of the HIQA report on the special care units at Coovagh, Ballydowd and Glenaulin in Cork. We have had numerous HIQA reports on child protection, foster care, residential care, adoption and so on. We do not, as yet, have an affordable childcare scheme. We have been told it will be rolled out in November 2019. We have serious issues in respect of Tusla and the absence of social workers and social care workers. We also have serious issues around residential respite places for children with intellectual disabilities. I ask that provision be made to discuss services for children across the State and across a whole range of areas. There is a lack of urgency on the part of Government on a number of issues to do with the welfare of children.

Will the Business Committee consider the request for a debate on this?

This will be a matter for the Business Committee. I would have no objection to a debate on it. We will have the affordable childcare scheme in place next year.

On Deputy O'Reilly's clarification, the figure of 376 adult patients on trolleys today came from the Department of Health at 8 a.m. this morning. The INMO does a different count that is 518. The HSE count includes patients on chairs and trolleys in and around emergency departments but the INMO has over the years widened the count out to include patients on trolleys in other parts of the hospital and also people who are not on trolleys. They may be in day wards rather than night wards, or may be in an overflow ward. The INMO count includes people who are in beds.

They are not in hospital beds.

Yes, that figure includes some patients who are in beds so it is a different way of counting it, but it is not correct to describe those people as being on trolleys.