A Kerry TD says there are 10,000 people in Kerry on hospital waiting lists.
Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly made the claim, as his party unveiled a €1.9 billion plan to protect capacity in the health service.
Deputy Pa Daly says the health service is facing a perfect storm, and patients and health care workers need support.
He says there are over 10,000 people in Kerry currently on waiting lists.
The Sinn Féin TD says physical infrastructure needs to be expanded through space in the community, repurposing space in acute hospitals, expanding space through modular units, and leveraging at-cost capacity in the private sector.
Deputy Daly claims COVID-19 has exposed a decades-long failure to build a public health system that has enough doctors, nurses and beds.
He says every option has to be on the table and workers need certainty in their employment.
Deputy Pa Daly says frontline staff are nearing burnout and cannot continue to work overtime in understaffed conditions.
He adds this is not safe or fair for staff or patients.
