Mr. Bernard Gloster:

That can still be used, but under much more strict conditions, because it had got to a point where it was not sustainable. That option is available for spinal to the same degree as everybody else. Spinal surgery, to be fair, is such a specialty, it is about the availability of people to do that. On UHL, the beds will open. It will have been 128 beds since last Christmas. The first 16 opened on New Year's Eve, the second 16 at Easter. The 96-bed block will be all new beds - I have heard mention of 48 new and 48 replacement - they are all new beds and all will be additional capacity. With the approval of the Secretary General, I approved the staffing ahead of the building so the staff have been recruited. The patients are starting to move in, the cleaners are there. It will be opened with patients in it. That will make a big impact in that hospital. There is a way to go and we are building a second 96-bed block.

I am not going to get into disputing the trolley figures but it was not above 100, just to say that. The safety management of the trolley position in Limerick is now much more consistent and I want to assure the Senator of that. I thank the Senator for her comment on specialist nurses. They are the only way to go. We are doing it in an enormous amount of specialties. If time allows, Dr. Henry might talk to that. On the home support piece, I might ask the regional executive officer for Dublin midlands to talk to that.