Last month, in excess of 1,400 patients over the age of 75 waited for more than 24 hours in emergency departments before getting a hospital bed. That was up from 1,100 in January. This is an appalling way to treat elderly citizens of this State. In 2015, when a 100-year-old woman was left on a trolley for 24 hours, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil both said it was unacceptable. In 2018, the Minister's party leader, the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, said that people being left on hospital trolleys was indefensible. It is indefensible. It is indefensible that on this Government's watch, elderly patients in their hundreds suffer this indignity. It is especially galling when the three head honchos in the area of health are being paid the big bucks but we do not see the big results. Where is the urgency from the Government? The emergency departmental task force has not met since November. Does the Government have a plan to deal with this matter? What are the timeframes? Is it just going to allow, as it has in recent years, this indignity to elderly citizens to continue?

I want to begin by acknowledging all the work that is under way in hospitals at the moment - from nurses, doctors, consultants and all who support them in their efforts as they battle again with the impact of this disease and with all the healthcare needs that so many people have had for so long, particularly elderly citizens. We recognise how challenging this is for those who need care, but that is why the Government has done a number of things. First, it is why since 2018 the amount of funding we have put into the healthcare service has increased from €15 billion to more than €20 billion. That has allowed to happen three different things that we believe will be of help as we respond to the new challenges hospitals are facing.

First, we have thousands more staff members, all of whom are working in our hospitals. Second-----

The task force has not met since November.

-----800 new beds are now open, with a further 300 acute beds due to open.

The Government is sitting on its hands. The task force has not met for months.

Some 22.9 million hours of home care are being made available to help with those-----

There are hundreds of elderly patients lying on trolleys. Why is this not an emergency?

-----who are going to our hospitals at the moment to give them care elsewhere.

We are now eating into-----

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I am answering-----

With respect, the Minister is not answering the question. Hundreds of elderly patients lying on trolleys for more than a day and the Government task force has not met for months.

I call on the Deputy and the Minister to resume their seats. We are going to move on. There is one minute remaining. Those on either side can either answer or put a question, but my job is to watch the time in order that other Deputies also have an opportunity to contribute. I am moving on to Deputy Cairns of the Social Democrats.