Some weeks ago, I bought to the Tánaiste’s attention a National Office of Clinical Audit report into heart attack and ambulance transfer times, which showed that patients in the south east are being delayed by up to 11 hours in the context of having cardiac interventions done. Last Wednesday, another patient, a 48-year-old mother of two, was rushed at midnight down to Cork hospital. She was chased by her husband in the car behind, who was wondering if she was going to survive. Her stenting operating took five and a half hours to complete, which is three and a half hours outside the clinical timeframe. How much longer will Government stand over this ludicrous transfer policy within the south-east region? How much longer are we going to stand over endangering hospital and ambulance personnel and patients in this race down to Cork? Beyond that, I ask the Tánaiste, as a doctor and as our future Taoiseach, how much longer is he going to continue to defend the policy to deny the south-east region a 24-7 cardiac care service? It is the only region in the country to be denied such a service.

The second cath lab in Waterford is nearing completion. We expect-----

There are no beds for it. After two years of engagement with HSE Estates, there are no beds to service that unit.

We expect the handover to be completed as early as this month. In addition, the modular emergency department and outpatient facility are scheduled to be equipped and commissioned in the first quarter of next year. That will facilitate the expansion of the hours of the permanent pacemaker implantation, PPI, service and the cardiology service in Waterford. There will be a challenge around recruitment. Recruiting people to work 24-7, nights and weekends, not just for a few years but for their entire careers, is a real challenge. However, it is something we will try to do. We will try to extend the hours of operation of those services. The Deputy can rest assured that we will do all that we can to achieve that.

With respect, there are no beds to support the new cath lab.

There are 451 beds in the hospital.

There are no day beds to support the second cath lab coming operational in December. There have been two years of engagement with HSE estates but there are no beds.

It is important that all of the Deputies’ colleagues get their one minute.