Unfortunately University Hospital Limerick is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last week a national record for the number of people on trolleys was set in the hospital. There has been a very significant amount of investment in the hospital but it does not seem to have reaped the dividends one would expect. Numerous front-line staff have contacted me. They are working in intolerable conditions and are extremely worried about the treatment patients are receiving and the standards pertaining in the hospital due to the severe overcrowding.

The Government must order a full review of managerial practices at University Hospital Limerick. Where is the accountability for these ongoing issues? How many senior management positions are there at the hospital? There is growing concern regarding the filling of senior management positions and a belief that the people who have taken up posts in the recent past in the hospital are not meeting the required standard for senior positions in the HSE. The hospital is under extreme pressure and people in the area are seriously concerned and worried. I would like to see a full review into what is happening at University Hospital Limerick.

I appreciate the issues the Deputy has raised. There has been significant investment in University Hospital Limerick but there are very significant issues there. It is my belief and the Government's view that we must look at further increasing bed capacity there in the short to medium term. I will talk to the HSE about the points Deputy Cahill has made about governance.

On the same issue and as Deputy Cahill has said, University Hospital Limerick is consistently the most overcrowded hospital in the State.

I raised this issue with the Taoiseach recently. Incredibly, 113 people are on trolleys today. This means there are no beds and, unfortunately, not enough trolleys for people. Yesterday 105 people were on trolleys and last Thursday there was an historical high of 126 people on trolleys. There is no let-up in this. The Taoiseach will not intervene but something needs to be done. We cannot wait for the planned 96-bed unit, which is to be delivered in three years' time if we are lucky. It will only deliver 48 beds because 48 will be taken out as well. What will the Taoiseach do? The nurses are calling for an independent HIQA inquiry. Will the Taoiseach support this? It should be done as a matter of urgency. The people and the staff deserve something better.

We need to act to see what we can do in the short and medium term to improve bed capacity. We can do all of the audits and inquiries from here on in but that will not necessarily improve the situation.