I welcomed the recent unannounced visit of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, to University Hospital Limerick, UHL. I had requested unannounced visits from Government so I was really happy to see that take place. At that visit, the Minister made a few points. One was the number of patients on trolleys nationally has been reduced by 17% but not in UHL. Instead, it has increased by 50%. He also pointed to a number of reforms that have been successfully implemented in other hospitals that have not transpired in UHL. Does the Taoiseach accept that these failures point to the need for an additional emergency department for the only region where one emergency department caters, although very poorly, for a massive population of more than 450,000? The Government and Sinn Féin have both stated that they need clinical advice on the requirement for the reinstatement of emergency departments, but surely the Taoiseach cannot expect the public to believe that the clinical advice currently is to leave that population dependent on the one emergency department? Will he commit to the reinstatement of Ennis emergency department and for the necessary planning to take place?

I thank the Deputy. The clinical advice is not to open more emergency departments. However, there is a need and desire to make hospitals within the hospital group, including Ennis, busier with regard to the volume of work they do and the range of services they provide. I definitely believe in that. Since this Government came to office, UHL has seen its staff numbers grow by 1,183 and its budget increase by 45%. It has 98 new beds opened. There are a range of other initiatives which the Minister announced last week. There is a real need now for a return on investment and reform of delivery. I am looking to the management of UHL to step up in that regard.