The situation in the State's accident and emergency departments is "not acceptable" the Taoiseach told the Dáil today.
Responding to a Fine Gael accusation that the Government had "failed miserably" to deal with A&E overcrowding, Mr Ahern said there it was important that "steady and substantial progress for patients" was made and an extra 250 beds would ease the crisis.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
"It is not acceptable and not accepted by Government that people, particularly older people, have to have long waits for admission on trolleys that issues of dignity and other issues are affected," Mr Ahern said.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that after nine years in power, "having access to unprecedented funding", the Government had "failed miserably to provide the most basic front line health services for the people of the country".
Mr Kenny said there were 314 people waiting on trolleys and chairs in A&E units around the country yesterday. "What now is the status of the ten-point plan introduced by the Tanaiste which was supposed to deliver real improvements in accident and emergency units by last November?" asked Mr Kenny.
Mr Ahern said the plan was "under way."
"We have put in the resources and we've put in the staff as well and I think right throughout the health service we've seen enormous improvements in the level of cancer care in paedeatric medicine.
"In most of the difficult specialties we have seen huge and growing improvements and I accept that A&E has not been as successful
Mr Ahern disputed the figures quoted by Mr Kenny, saying: "The figure I got for yesterday was 190."
He added: "We're helping older people move out of hospitals when they're medically fit to leave. The homecare package and the enhanced nursing home subventions, 530 people have already received the new supports. Many more will do so in the months ahead.
"We're working with the HSE (Health Service Executive) to provide more home support so they avoid admission to hospital, in addition we're supporting the HSE's comprehensive flu vaccination campaign.
"What they are presently doing...they've got clearance for another 250 private beds which will take the long-term public acute patients out and put them into these hospitals. That's on top of 250 that were taken out in November.
The Taoiseach said the HSE had told him A&E admissions in Dublin hospitals were up 20 per cent
"They tell me that [admissions of] older population...are substantially up, they tell me that the flu in the last six weeks was double the number that it was last year, colder weather. Winter vomiting has been a feature every year."
Earlier Siptu general secretary Joe O'Flynn said adverse publicity over continued overcrowding at accident and emergency units could lead to the service being privatised
Mr O'Flynn said the lack of adequate resources and the bad experiences of people waiting for care may force A&E units into private hands.
He told the union's annual nursing convention in Sligo that long stays on trolley and in crowded corridors would be used as a justification for the move.
"Constant adverse publicity about the crisis in accident and emergency could open up the possibility of privatisation of the services by those who have a vested interest in doing so," he said.
Professor Brendan Drumm, head of the HSE, has admitted at the convention there was a very serious problem with A&E departments. He also accepted measures put in place to ease the crisis had not worked.
Mr O'Flynn urged the Government to ensure increased funding was spread right across the health service including psychiatric care units and nursing homes.
