Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Taoiseach to “stop using Brexit as an excuse” to tackling the trolley crisis.

610 people are waiting on hospital trolleys across the state today according to INMO figures.

Ms McDonald said:

“We need solutions, not excuses, to tackle the trolley crisis. The Taoiseach should stop hiding behind Brexit and take action.

“Sinn Féin’s alternative budget published today would take immediate steps to solve this ongoing problem including recruiting 500 extra nurses and midwives and opening an additional 500 beds.

“The thousands of people abandoned on hospital trolleys month after month is a direct result of the policy choices of Fine Gael backed up by Fianna Fáil.

“We cannot tolerate a health service dragged into a perpetual state of crisis by bad policies and inaction. The solutions are there. It’s time to start implementing them.”