The standards of cleanliness in hospitals range from "outright filth" to "revolting", the Fine Gael leader claimed in the Dáil yesterday.
Mr Enda Kenny also hit out at the revelation that more than 200 people were on hospital trolleys in accident and emergency departments yesterday.
His comments came as 100 people, including relatives of patients on trolleys, nurses and supporters, demonstrated outside Leinster House. Inside, the Taoiseach came under renewed pressure from all the opposition leaders over the health service, and particularly the situation in A&E departments.
Mr Ahern insisted, however, that action was being taken to address the issues. Criticising the opposition, he said the initiatives the Government had in place would help people, "rather than just trying to make political chat about it".
He also pointed out that, while there was a longer-term plan to have 3,000 extra hospital beds, 900 were in place.
Mr Kenny said that 164 people were on trolleys in Dublin hospitals and at least 50 in hospitals outside the capital. The winter vomiting bug had been reported in Beaumont hospital, and there was "clear potential" for an outbreak in the Mater. "The standard of cleanliness ranges from outright filth in some cases to being revolting in others."
The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said that in the past when there was a winter flu epidemic, there was the prospect of patients on trolleys. "Now it is the norm," he said, adding: "We had the prospect today of a patient in the Mater Hospital being treated in the staff canteen and the prospect of a young man on a drip lying on two chairs".
The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, pointed out that, despite the investment in the health services, there were 3,500 more beds in 1990 than now.
