Taoiseach Bertie Ahern ruled out personally intervening in the problems in hospital A&E units. He said the Government as a whole worked on the issue. "Everybody is involved."
Mr Ahern came under renewed pressured on the issue from Labour leader Pat Rabbitte and Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin.
Mr Rabbitte claimed nobody seemed capable of controlling the crisis. "The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) has pleaded with the Taoiseach to intervene."
Mr Ahern said there had been a significant increase in staffing in A&E departments in recent years, and in the number of nurses and supervisory nurse positions.
"In the five or six hospitals where there is a problem, we will continue to work with the Irish Nurses Organisation and the hospital management. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is working daily on this issue to try to overcome the difficulties in the four or five hospitals that continue to have a problem."
He said the Government was contracting out long-term, nursing-care beds, and providing acute medical units for non-surgical patients at Tallaght, St Vincent's and Beaumont hospitals. The Government was also ensuring access to GPs was provided outside normal working hours.
Mr Rabbitte claimed the facilities in St Bricin's military hospital had turned out to be unsuitable for use according to the HSE Eastern Region.
In a statement later, Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said Mr Rabbitte should unreservedly apologise for misleading the House. The question of the use of St Bricin's was being examined by the HSE Eastern Region and the Department of Health.
Mr Rabbitte said for the past eight years the Government had been promising that something might work in the health services. "In spite of the 10-point initiative, announced with great fanfare by the Tánaiste and greeted by the media which alluded to her unparalleled courage in taking on this problem, nothing has changed."
Mr Ahern said an additional 500 beds occupied by older people would be freed up. The only way to deal with the issue was to try to free-up beds, including in private facilities. "I am the first to admit that there are problems, but the figures I receive on a daily basis indicate that there are improvements."
Mr Ahern clashed with Wexford Labour TD Brendan Howlin on the number of patients in trolleys in Wexford on Monday. Mr Ahern insisted it was 28, while Mr Howlin claimed it was 35.
