Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will follow up the matter that Deputy Buckley raised. That is not acceptable and the HSE is meant to answer those questions within a specific timeframe, so I will follow that up directly with it.

I answered Deputy Michael Moynihan's second question by saying that I would get the HSE to revert to him directly on when those advertisements will be placed. It is important to point out that some vacancies have arisen very recently. I believe the two staff nurse posts have arisen only in the past month. Another one of the vacant posts for a clinical nurse specialist in cardiac rehabilitation has become vacant because one of the candidates has been promoted to a candidate advanced nurse practitioner which will ultimately be good for the hospital. Some of the vacancies are looking ahead towards three maternity leave posts which will arise in 2019.

It is not aspirational. We will do more in our model 2 hospitals. In fact we are already doing so and the evidence is there throughout the country. I had these discussions with the chief executive of the South/South West hospital group on Monday and there is capacity to do more in Mallow General Hospital. I am determined that we will do so and I am happy to keep in touch with the Deputies on that.

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