Taoiseach Bertie Ahern defended the Government's performance on the health services in the face of sustained Opposition criticism.
"No stone is left unturned to address problems where they occur. All the necessary funding is being made available." Mr Ahern said that the HSE was bringing "management attention" as never before to the extra resources provided.
"The accident and emergency action group has been working since the HSE was formed early last year and will support the commitment of doctors, nurses and other staff to continually improve patient care.
"It ensures that in many of our hospitals those departments are working well. We have 53 acute hospitals, with 35 accident and emergency units, of which about 13 are recognised to have a problem. The other two-thirds are working effectively and well. There are many such examples across the country. The task is to bring the remainder into line."
Mr Ahern said that Monday night's RTÉ Prime Time programme had shown the distress of patients and their families and the conditions and waiting times in some of the A&E departments. "We understand the distress. That is why the HSE is determined to reduce unacceptably long waiting times and all the other issues."
He said that it was not that individual consultants did not work long hours - the problem was that they were not scheduled to be routinely available to patients at all times when needed.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the real scandal was that this was not a new crisis as four years ago the Government had done an analysis of what was needed to fix the then crisis so that there could be no shock-horror now.
"Nine years in power, three different ministers for health, a Tánaiste and €60 billion later, the Government has failed to deliver and has failed to look after our most vulnerable, has failed to invest in the beds we need and has failed to invest in developing proper primary care, which is the key to a good health service."
He asked Mr Ahern if he was not "ashamed", having watched the RTÉ programme, that this could happen in Ireland in 2006.
Earlier, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte asked Mr Ahern if he was satisfied to be head of a government which stood idly by for nine years while "the degradation and humiliation of older citizens, who have paid taxes all their lives, was presented in such circumstances as were on view last night".
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent noted that it had been stated by a doctor on the programme that we had a Third World health service. Mr Ahern replied: "An English doctor would be best advised to look after his own medical services as the British have experienced and continue to experience many problems." He added that he did not need such advice. "While I will take advice from the deputy, I will not take advice from such a doctor."
Mr Ahern said that some three million people used the service and the in-patient services in hospitals worked effectively. "Problems exist in approximately 13 of the 53 acute hospitals and we must try to get on top of them."
He said that every week there were approximately 50 new cases in acute hospitals of patients who could leave but could not go home owing to various circumstances.
"While such people may not have a medical condition, they might have difficulties in managing on their own or whatever, or may be too elderly. We must provide step-down facilities for such people."
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said that there were now no intensive care beds available in his constituency.
