Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this important issue. Like my colleagues, I stood outside Naas General Hospital a number of weeks ago on a wet, cold Monday. I saw members of its nursing staff doing something that was not natural for them, that was, to be out in front of the hospital. They did not want to scare patients, but they needed to highlight their frustrations.

The hospital has sought 24 full-time positions. Given the delay in filling a number of these by agency staff, it makes sense to go from agency staffing to full-time or full-time equivalent staffing. Approval for these positions needs to be fast-tracked, the red tape needs to be cut and the posts need to be advertised and filled as soon as possible.

The 12 delayed discharges have had a knock-on impact within the hospital. The figure was higher a couple of weeks ago, but it needs to be cleared. There are great step-down facilities in, for example, St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy.

However, it is necessary to have those cases processed in order that they can be moved out of the system in Naas and to ensure that everyone who is in a bed in Naas hospital needs to be there and that every available bed in Naas is open and used fully. I support fully the management and staff at Naas General Hospital. When my constituents in Kildare South get sick, they depend on Naas General Hospital for that great level of care, both at emergency level and for longer stays. Members must support the staff, must make sure their working conditions allow them to do their job to the very best of their ability and must ensure there is a sufficient number of staff. Moreover, where it makes sense the movement of those staff members from being agency staff to being full-time equivalents should be fast-tracked and should happen as soon as possible.

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