Some 97 people are on trolleys in the University Hospital Limerick emergency department today. It is a disgrace. It is indefensible and a poor reflection on us as a society. It is an indictment of our health service and our Government. In spite of tens of millions of euro being spent building modular units and additional accommodation, there is a situation in Limerick where there are more people from the mid-west on trolleys than anywhere else in the country. I want to know why. Is it a lack of funding, resources, available nurses, beds or Covid? Is it due to a difficulty with management or is it down to incompetence? The people of the mid-west deserve answers at this stage. The only way to find out why 97 of our citizens are sitting on trolleys in Limerick today is if there is an independent inquiry that does not involve people from the UL hospital group or its management. It is not good enough. I am blue in the face standing up here year after year, month after month, highlighting this. The people of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and the mid-west deserve better from this Government and our health service. I want answers and the only way to get those is an independent inquiry. It could be HIQA or an outside agency, but it must be independent because we need answers. It is not good enough, it is indefensible, it is not acceptable and it cannot continue.

Well said.

I wish to support Senator Conway's call for an independent review into University Hospital Limerick. I raise the matter every second week and have done so for the last year. The problem is ongoing and it is not good enough.

Yesterday was international day of education. The Minister, Deputy Harris, was in Limerick yesterday. I had the pleasure of visiting some schools with him. He spoke about CAO offers and the choices to be made. We had good engagement with the students in St. Mary's secondary school and Coláiste Mhichíl CBS secondary school. They are both DEIS schools. The students were delighted to have engagement with the Minister and to be able to discuss their upcoming leaving certificate, college places and what they are thinking about doing. I was interested by the number of people who were interested in apprenticeships, which now appear on the CAO form and which did not before. They are also on the website. This is really encouraging. Since the previous year, there have been some 1,500 extra applications for apprenticeships. It is really encouraging. While a degree course suits some, it does not suit all. It should be highlighted and people who are interested in apprenticeships should be encouraged. It is a form of education.

Senator McGreehan raised the course SNAs are encouraged to take and yet their qualification is not recognised in their pay and it is not accredited. Something has to happen. Education is the order of the day but it needs to be looked at. I would like the Leader's support.