Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the points about the timeframe and the delivery date, I will go back to the Minister on that issue. Of course, there will be issues in regard to procurement and planning, as well as the potential for delays. I have experienced this in regard to the new accident and emergency unit at Beaumont Hospital so I know exactly where the Deputies are coming from. I reassure them there will be no kicking the can down the road on this issue. The Independent Alliance and the Government are very supportive of the people of Waterford. The Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, has been pushing this issue in government with the Minister and we have been supporting him. Likewise, we are very supportive of the needs of the people of Waterford because we feel very strongly that they have been left out of the picture and they are entitled to the same level of service as other regions of the country. There is no debate on that issue.

The Herity report concluded that the needs of the effective catchment population for University Hospital Waterford could be accommodated from a single cath lab. Funding has been provided to support extension of the existing cath lab operating hours to 12 sessions per week, or by 20%, as recommended by the Herity report. The HSE has advised that the posts will be required to facilitate the service extension to the existing cath lab were originally envisaged to be reduced whole-time equivalent posts, that is, all posts were 0.25 whole-time equivalent with the exception of the nursing posts, which were 0.75 whole-time equivalent. While it has proved difficult to recruit suitably qualified staff for the 0.25 whole-time equivalent posts, these posts have now been designated as full-time equivalents. Recruitment is currently being progressed by the national recruitment service and it is hoped that, as full-time posts, the recruitment will be successful.

All the issues the Deputies have raised will be brought back to the Minister and we guarantee them our maximum support.

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