Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Brendan Smith, has said his party will tackle soaring Emergency Department waiting times.

Deputy Smith said, “Under Fine Gael and Minister Harris there is a mounting crisis in bed capacity and wait times in Emergency Departments across the country. Unfortunately, in Cavan-Monaghan we are not immune from this nationwide problem.

“In Cavan General Hospital we are in need of an upgrade to our Emergency Department. It has seen a significant increase in visitors, with the number of visits to our Emergency Department increase by 3,158 in 2018 compared with 2012.

“Fianna Fáil have been clear. We will increase bed capacity in our hospitals, including Cavan General Hospital, to reduce Emergency Department waiting times to a target waiting time of four hours.  

“We will ensure there is an emergency medicine consultant present in Emergency Departments on a 24-hour basis. We aim to improve access to diagnostics for Emergency Departments and GPs with a new minor capital grant fund of €50m.

 “All the while we will lift the recruitment embargo Fine Gael have implemented to ensure vital roles are filled in our hospitals.

“It is clear under Fine Gael their health policy has failed. It is time for change,” concluded Deputy Smith.