Hospital Overcrowding
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-09
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Aidan Farrelly (SD), Kildare North

It is an issue that has maintained over years and will continue, notwithstanding the matters of merit in the Minister of State's response in terms of capital works and an increased budget. The budgets are increasing in tandem with the population increase. I do not think that will address this meaningfully.
I spoke with someone today who works in Naas General Hospital and their words are more important than mine. I will quote that person:
The nursing staff are voting today via the INMO for work-to-rule. The management is adding services to an already understaffed hospital. No one is listening to the nurses on the ground, despite union meetings. Management wants to change hours without approval of the staff. There are 30 nursing vacancies at multiple levels that are unfilled and unadvertised. There is not enough staff to cover sick leave. They are using agency staff to run theatre lists and endoscopy lists are being filled without following [joint advisory group] JAG protocols.
These are not my points. What matters at this point are the voices of those working on the ground.
This has become an entirely predictable crisis. Irrespective of concerns over how the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF, is being used, the powerful words from someone working in the hospital are what we all need to hear. The majority of staff in Naas General Hospital will continue to work tirelessly, but they will work tirelessly in conditions that are simply unacceptable. I again thank the Minister of State for her time. I ask her to convey the importance of this to the Minister, and to consider convening a meeting of the stakeholders I mentioned to include the union representatives to make sure we hear the voices of staff, patients, ourselves and management so that we are not here this time next year talking about a predictable crisis.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-09