There can be no excuse for dirt in hospitals, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Ms Harney told the Dáil. She said it was not an issue of funding, but about "pride, standards and management".
Everyone, but particularly patients and their families, was aware that Accident and Emergency departments "are not always meeting the standards of cleanliness that we can rightly expect", she said during a Private Members' debate yesterday on the state of A & E services.
"There can be no excuse for dirt. The Health and Safety Executive will work with hospitals to ensure effective management and monitoring of standards of cleanliness.
"The key issue here is not funding. It really is about pride, standards and management. There will however be some funding to cover necessary refurbishment or redecoration of existing facilities," she said.
