@Honeybadger197: thats another feather in your cap ,

@Anthony Gallagher: Not really. There are parts/ communities in the Navajo Nation that appear to belong in some third world country. It’s frightening. Spectacular part of the world but if you want to understand endemic poverty, social alienation, cultural oblivion, and a genuine dearth of hope you should go here. There are of course communities there that have fought hard to sustain, adapt and relatively flourish. I spoke to many very friendly, interesting people, but will never forget the sense of loss i experienced there. I could be very wrong, maybe my own preconceptions have informed this. As i said they are a proud people who, more than any other in America, deserve better.

@Craig Gibbs: The Carroll Clan mayhaps?

@Dave O Keeffe: cause he’s too busy grooming his marvellous moustache

@John Fahy: he’s off thanking a historical friend of the Irish state, do you think he could overhaul the HSE, provide severance packages to all the overabundent admin staff, and cure the nation in the week he’ll be abroad? Ffs.

@John Fahy:
Former Minister for Health.
Leo ‘Cmon, I’m only the minister for health, I don’t run the bloody health service’ O’Varadkar.

@Sean Stevenson: FG have had almost seven years, and go month to month creating new records for homelessness and people on trollies. FFS is right.

@Fergus Sheahan: commenting and grooming at the same time is the most worthwhile of endeavours, I’d like to retract my earlier comment.

@John Fahy: and no paragliding off the Tallahatchie bridge.

@John Fahy: It’s getting to get worse. take to the streets and block the entrance to the dail until somethings done is the only way forward. because they don’t take us serious.

@Sean Stevenson: this is a job for the President who, lets face it, has nothing better to do. The Taoiseach’s job is not to represent the country but to run it.

@John Fahy: this is a promo tour. It’s a good thing, also he was invited. Are you saying he should reject an invitation from the White House?

@Sean Stevenson:

perhaps he is hoping their medicine man will cure our ills .
no problem with him thanking the natives but will he have the liathroidi to follow it up by telling trump he is in possession of their robbed land and return it to them , and he will pay back apples tax to him .
now that would be sincere and not just window dressing . he has a lot of front pages to get onto to beat our other global poser Enda Kenny as Taoiseach.

@John Fahy: “The Taoiseach’s job is not to represent the country but to run it.”
he is running it ! into the ground.

@Nuala Mc Namara: with an growing aging population and hospitals already full to capacity it can’t be solved in a day or a year. It will take multi million euro large extensions to wards (land space permitting) which could take a year to build, with 3+ years before hand for the consultation process. This will be required across the country in every hospital which isn’t always feasible. On the other hand, doctors and nurses under intense pressure may send people home too early to free up beds, only for conditions to worsen at home and people end up back in again looking for a bed again. We need more hospitals but who’s going to pay and staff them? Are we going to build a free home for everyone on housing & homeless list before or after this? The country is still austerity with massive debt.

@Derek: FG pledged to tackle trolley crisis in 2011.But during the following years austerity cuts impacted significantly on healthcare with €2.7B of HSE cuts,12,000 less HSE staff,a 21,000 inpatient drop and 30,000 day case drop between 2012-2014,loss of 2m home help hours and €100m cuts re costs of drug repayment scheme.All this with a growth in population of 173,613 from 2011-2016!
Now the trolley crisis & hospital overcrowding,crisis, hospital waiting lists crisis,etc developing into emergencies!In Oct’17 there were589,000 on hospital waiting lists & trolley crisis & hospital overcrowding at worst ever levels & we heard in 2016 that home care cuts saw ” off- loading” of patients into hospitals,etc.
These are severe consequences of austerity policies.yet at the same time there were companies not paying full 12.5% Corporation tax rate!
Also Prof Mody said the FG Gov could have fought for significant changes to FF/Troika deal thereby reducing austerity measures & impact from same.
Look logically at some solutions of the now National Emergency in Health that could be done even before providing extra beds which should be top priority::
1)Adequate increase in home help hours and carers supports needed.
During the last storm for example older patients keep in hospitals because of concerns re home help supports,etc.If adequate supports at home any health concerns would be tackled before getting worse for example.
2)Delay in tackling hospital waiting lists can results in patients conditions getting worse and presenting at A&E,leading to overcrowding then surgeries& procedures cancelled to tackle overcrowding crisis then problem keeps repeating!
I think part of Slainte Care is more community based care&GPs doing more tests& procedures.More public health nurses needed to assess vulnerable groups in their own homes,etc.
3)There are units in hospitals unable to open because of lack of nursing staff so increase in pay needed for nurses and those doing nursing training courses in University could be given incentives to stay in Ireland for eg 2 years.That would lead to less agency nurses which is so expensive.Units already there would open and make work environment easier.Therefore less patients on trolleys and less ops& procedures cancelled.
4)Sometimes people dont know when to attend GP re signs &symptoms,re children,etc:some delay going to GPs,some go too often,etc so why not once off publish booklets re health care re children,elderly,etc,etc for every household that would give clear guidelines on when GP visits are a neccessary or what can be done at home including lists of various local supports & agencies in each area including mental health supports eg support groups.
These are just a few solutions.:preventative,local supports,home supports,health education, incentives for nurses to stay after training and present nurses to stay,etc!

@tismeself: I agree its annual a junket by all political parties.

@tismeself:
Leo’s been spending a lot of time Stateside since his boyfriend moved there.
Nice when the taxpayers can pay for his trysts.
Clever Leo.

@David Sinclair: Ah so it’s his orientation you have a problem with? Catholics are so transparent.

@David Sinclair: The boyfriend is due home shortly.

@David Sinclair: so that’s your problem.

@Michael Knight:
Boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, partner. Well done for missing the point.
FREEBIES.

@David Sinclair: try even conveniently moved St Patrick’s Day to suit their schedules. Oh wait no, you’re just talking shit again.

@Dave O Keeffe: if I was a bully like you I’d call you out on you spelling and grammar. But I’m not so I won’t.

@KingBen: aww, poor snowflake. What happened to the mic drop? Pick it up again for another withering retort? Good for you. Keep on trucking kiddo

@wattsed: well if this form keeps up I’m going to start believing in my own propaganda lol

@David Sinclair: still trying to spread lies? Still trying to convince people that the girl that Jamie carragher spat o was the one recording the incident? Moron

@Dave O Keeffe:
Stop victim blaming.

@David Sinclair: when did I blame the 14 year old girl? It was Jamie’s fault entirely that he spat on her (the victim) but her father (not the victim) was also in the wrong for using a mobile phone while driving.

@Dave O Keeffe:
Yeah, and women are wrong for walking down dark alleys.
The narrative on that thread was that the driver was more culpable than Jamie Carragher and you bought into it Dave.
Have to say I’m totally shocked at you….don’t know why (probably because you’re normally so Puritanical)..but I am.

@David Sinclair: off to your safe space now david, you are getting worked up.