Irish councillor Seamus Treanor slammed for saying foreign nationals are to blame for overcrowding in hospitals
The Independent said he isn't happy that so many non-Irish people have medical cards
A COUNCILLOR is blaming foreign nationals living in Ireland for overcrowding in the health system.
Seamus Treanor described it as “a horrible truth” and “unbelievable” that so many foreign nationals have medical cards.
The comments from the Independent Monaghan councillor come as the Department of Justice announced plans to house 80 Syrian refugees in a hotel in west Roscommon.
Speaking on Northern Sound radio today, Seamus stormed: “You could walk from one end of Monaghan town to the other end of it and you wouldn’t meet an Irish person. That’s the horrible truth, that’s why we have a hospital crisis.
“I was up at the accident and emergency unit in Monaghan County Hospital lately, and it was unbelievable to see how many foreign nationals, all with medical cards. Go into any doctors surgery, who’s sitting in it? Foreign nationals with medical cards.”
The comments made by Cllr Treanor were slammed by Labour's spokesperson for Equality, Senator Gerald Nash.
"Right-thinking people will be disturbed by the Councillor's comments," he said.
"To claim that the strain on our health service is caused by the new Irish simply has no basis in reality and it is objectionable.
"There are many underlying reasons for the pressures on on our health services and the number of people who have chosen to come to live in Ireland and raise their families here is not one.
"By all means we should have a debate about how we resource our public services, but it should not be too much to ask that we have such a debate in a rational and reasoned way.
"Thankfully, views such as those expressed by the Councillor are held only by a very small minority of people in the country. Ireland is now a multi-cultural country and we are much better off and more tolerant for it."
Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that the levels of overcrowding have eased.
As of this morning, there were 395 patients waiting on trolleys.
University Hospital Limerick still remains the worst affected, with 41 patients waiting.
Overcrowding levels in hospital wards reached a record high of 612 patients on Tuesday.