Ms Eilísh Hardiman:

I will come to that. I started with nurses because the biggest numbers relate to nurses and so that was one of our biggest challenges.

The Deputy is right. For example in imaging, radiology, we have sought 5.65 posts in imaging. Of those, 3.65 have accepted. We have ended up with two vacancies that we have not been able to fill yet. However, we are working with the imaging staff to try to address this because we have a challenge with imaging as the Deputy has identified. The demands for the services far outstrip the capacity we have. We are taking this in the round. It is not just about Connolly Hospital which has moderate requirements for imaging: it is plain film imaging. We are looking at all our imaging, working with our radiology consultants and working the HSE through NTPF and other ways of insourcing and looking at other elements in the public system to address a capacity challenge we have at the moment.

We have identified proleptic appointments and putting in a pipeline of staff. We have increased our specialist registrars in imaging so that we have a future pipeline of clinicians coming out in this area. It is a national and international challenge. We are working with the various areas and we have identified better ways of using our existing resources to prepare capacity plans in conjunction with the staff involved.