A claim by Minister for Health Mary Harney that lying on hospital trolleys is a pleasant experience for many patients has angered health service unions and patient representative groups.
Siptu general president Jack O'Connor said yesterday that his members were extremely angry about the Minister's "blase" comments.
"I am concerned at the subliminal message they send out that the Minister, and the Government, now regard as acceptable the widespread use of trolleys to substitute for the massive shortfall in hospital bed targets set five years ago," he said.
"I most certainly hope the Minister's comments do not reflect the Government's view that present conditions in our hospitals represent an acceptable standard," he added.
Dave Hughes, deputy general secretary of the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO), said: "How anybody could suggest that lying on a trolley for 24 hours is pleasant is beyond me."
Janette Byrne of Patients Together also condemned the remark.
The comments were made by Ms Harney during a Dáil debate on the A&E taskforce report on Wednesday night.
She said: "As for trolleys, some people spend all their time, perhaps 24 hours, being observed on a trolley. Recently, a close friend of mine who would be known to many members had such an experience in a Dublin hospital. He told me it was a very pleasant experience. There will always be people on trolleys and many people are treated on them. The issue is the length of time someone must wait to be dealt with in an accident and emergency department".
When the Fine Gael TD Charles Flanagan put it to her that she should not suggest the general experience of being on a trolley was pleasant, Ms Harney replied: "It is for many people".