Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the concerns in Donegal about its major acute hospital, Letterkenny University Hospital. The Minister will be well aware that in recent days, approximately 170 staff were off work at the hospital for a variety of Covid-19-related reasons. Seven ambulances were backed up outside the hospital. That meant that half the capacity in the county was tied up, which caused great alarm. What assurances can the Minister give that additional resources can be deployed to Letterkenny University Hospital? What proactive efforts is the Minister making to appeal to those who may have retired as healthcare workers in Donegal to come and assist? I understand there is additional capacity at St. Joseph's Community Hospital, Stranorlar. Can that capacity be utilised? At present, there are more than 100 patients with Covid-19-related issues in the hospital.

I will take this opportunity to convey my utmost solidarity with front-line healthcare workers across the State who have done incredible work throughout this crisis, particularly in recent weeks. However, they need assurances that everything possible is being done to assist them in the incredible pressure they are under.

The other issue is the vaccinations. As the Minister knows, up until recent weeks Donegal had the highest numbers per 100,000 in the entire State. They were stubbornly high numbers and the hospital staff were carrying that responsibility. We would have expected that they would have been top of the list for vaccination but they were behind by a week and we are still getting reports from front-line nurses in the hospital that they have not received the vaccination.

My questions are around vaccinations for the staff in Letterkenny University Hospital, getting extra staff into the hospital and the issue of extra capacity being available at St. Joseph's Community Hospital in Stranorlar.

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