Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My question is for the Minister for Health and concerns the allocation of funding for the reopening of the short-stay ward at Letterkenny University Hospital. As the Minister knows, the total number of patients on trollies increased from 2,000 in 2016 to 5,000 last year and that figure will be breached again this year. The hospital and the need for additional beds have been entirely neglected by the Government. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, announced on local radio a month ago that, after discussing the matter with the Taoiseach, funding would be forthcoming for the reopening of the beds, but until now that announcement has amounted to nothing more than wind. The hospital has not been given sanction to recruit the additional staff necessary to reopen the beds. What is the status of the commitment given? Will the Minister immediately give the go-ahead for the recruitment of staff to enable the beds to be reopened as soon as possible?

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