Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise an issue which I have raised on many occasions in the past 18 months. Eighteen months ago Letterkenny University Hospital asked for the pressure on it to be relieved when there was an average of 19 patients on trollies every day. Within yards of where patients are lying on trollies there is a ward with 20 beds. In this instance, there is no need for capital investment but rather for sanction to employ the front-line nurses and support staff needed to run that ward, which would cost in the region of €1.8 million. It would relieve pressure on a hospital that is seriously suffering as a result of overcrowding and from a lack of capacity.

The HSE has put it forward as one of its proposals. As my colleague said, the Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, went on our local radio and did not just say the ward would be open. He went as far as telling the public of Donegal that he had told the manager to start recruiting the staff. I hope that is the case. This ward needs to be opened to relieve the winter pressure. Will the Minister give us any commitment? Any information I have got from him indicates that it will not be open this winter, and indeed there are questions marks over whether it will be open at the start of next year.

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