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

I thank the Minister of State for her response. The figures she has outlined of an increase of 14% in admissions and a 45% increase in the number of people on trolleys show the pressure under which Naas is at present and has the potential to be in the future. This is November, not January, and the peak time has not yet arrived. Absolute flexibility is needed in aiding the hospital to continue to provide safe care. Everything must be done to help the management and the staff of Naas General Hospital, in this time of increased pressure on demand on its services, to ensure it has the requisite flexibility. I welcome the Minister of State's comments on the new appointments this year, as well as the replacements, but I urge the Minister of State to go back to her officials, to cut through the red tape and to ensure that those agency nurses can be turned into full-time equivalents and that the additional positions can be put in place as soon as possible.

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