Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I seek a response to a previously submitted question, Question No. 25, part one, on Carndonagh Community Hospital in Donegal, from the Minister for Health and the deputy CEO of the HSE. When the question was submitted over three weeks ago, four beds in Carndonagh Community Hospital had been closed, we were told, on a temporary basis by the HSE. Since then, those four beds have not reopened. In fact, two more have been closed, reducing the amount of beds open in the community hospital, from 30 to 24.

The Minister's response today is quite worrying in that it does not indicate these beds will reopen. I note the Minister indicated in his response that the overall bed capacity in the hospital is 36. I would point out to him that, in fact, it should be 46 because the capacity in the community hospital is 30 beds, of which only 24 are currently operating, and the capacity in the state-of-the-art dementia unit in the hospital, Ard Aoibhinn, is 16, of which only 12 have been operating in the past while. My question to the Minister is will beds reopen and will the Minister address the situation which is leading to these beds being closed, that is, the recruitment embargo and the failure to replace staff as they retire or where they are off for long-term reasons? Hospitals such as Carndonagh provide the capacity to operate beds which provide step-down from general hospitals, assessment which prevents having to admit to more acute hospitals and respite to the community, and such beds are being closed. Since I submitted this question, ten beds have also closed in Dungloe Community Hospital in Donegal for the same reason. The recruitment embargo is getting to a stage where it is long past the tipping point. Will these beds reopen and will the Minister and the deputy CEO of the HSE, Mr. O'Brien, ensure that the Government addresses the recruitment embargo which is driving hospitals to the position where they are closing beds?