Sligo/Leitrim Deputy Marian Harkin says it will be Spring by the time the Winter Plan for Sligo hospital is implemented.
The Independent TD says while Winter Plans are being put forward as a means of tackling the overcrowding at the health facilities during the coming months, it's clear that they can't work.
She says the overcrowding at Sligo hospital places it in the top three worst affected for the past year.
Deputy Harkin says the majority of the Winter Plan is focused on ''staff recruitment' but that process will obviously take a number of months.
''The numbers on trolleys in Sligo University Hospital are among the worst in the country. The minister tells me 'oh, we have a winter plan' but when I check out this winter plan, seven of the 10 actions are about recruiting staff. When I asked about recruiting staff, the HSE tell me a recruitment process is due to get underway. That's too late. It will be spring before the winter plan for Sligo University Hospital is implemented. We need action now.''
