26 August 2026
By Valerie Ryan
valerie@TheCork.ie
Health Politics
Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice has today said that crisis in CUH cannot be ignored or minimised any longer. It is unsustainable to continue expecting our healthcare workers to do more with less. The Minister for Health’s dismissal of concerns about the impact of staff shortages on patient safety at Cork University Hospital is utterly unacceptable”
Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s health spokesperson and chair of the Oireachtas Health Committee, continued:
“On RTÉ radio today, Minister Carroll MacNeill attempted to shirk responsibility for the looming winter crisis at CUH, as recently outlined in a letter to HSE regional management by the hospital’s CEO.
“However, instead of playing hardball on the airwaves, the minister must accept that there is a patient safety issue and take action ahead of the busy winter period.
“CUH is severely understaffed, and the healthcare workers within its walls are stretched paper thin.
“I acknowledge that staff numbers have grown in the previous five to six years – as the minister has been at pains to say – but she must also accept that these increases have not kept pace with demand. Nor has it been enough to undo the damage caused by post-economic crash cuts, embargoes and moratoriums.
“And instead of learning from the mistakes of the past, we have seen a return to austerity era measures which risk both patient and staff safety.
“The crisis in CUH cannot be ignored or minimised any longer. It is unsustainable to continue expecting our healthcare workers to do more with less. Staff morale is already on the floor.
“Local management needs greater autonomy to recruit staff and replace vacant posts. Continuing down the road of cost-cutting measures would be incredibly short-sighted thinking, and have a direct impact on patient care. This de facto recruitment embargo must be lifted.
“The minister should also heed the advice of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) from earlier this year, when it said that more realistic budgeting is needed in health to avoid overruns. She should reflect on this assessment rather than lay all the blame at someone else’s door.”