A CORK North Central Fianna Fáil general election candidate has said her party has a credible, fully-costed plan to ease the current crisis in the Emergency Department at Cork University Hospital.

Sandra Murphy has said the CUH’s ED is working far beyond its capacity.

“The facility opened in 2005 to cater for approx 40,000 patients largely an ambulatory patient population and not the level of children or frail elderly that are now presenting. In 2019, the CUH ED saw 68,000 patients – this cannot continue,” Ms Murphy said.

“Fianna Fáil will increase bed capacity and has committed to rolling out an additional 2,600 beds as recommended under the Capacity Review. We will also aim for a four-hour target wait for EDs as well as ensuring that an Emergency Medicine consultant is on duty in EDs on a 24/7 basis,” she added.

It is the Cork North Central candidate’s first time running for election, and she said she’s frustrated by the “inertia of the Fine Gael government.”

“Over the past couple of weeks of the campaign I have encountered a huge level of despair, frustration, and anger on the doorsteps. Our country has suffered as a consequence of the empty promises Fine Gael has made over the past four years,” Ms Murphy said.

She said she and her party colleagues are committed to real and meaningful change: “We want to see better public services and a fairer Ireland — one which will see more investment in our communities and a health service that serves everyone.”