Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply and the obvious commitment from him to Ballina Hospital. As he said, it is a 62-bed unit. We want to see that maximised. It is an important step-down facility. The staff there do a wonderful job and there are many proposals on the table. I want to see them advanced. They have been there long enough to be assessed.

The Minister acknowledged during the week there is huge pressure on Mayo University Hospital at the moment. Without the district hospitals in Ballina, Belmullet and Swinford working effectively that pressure will continue. I extend once again the invitation to visit the hospital and meet the director of nursing and staff. We also need to be far more ambitious about our network of district hospitals around the country. I have previously told the Minister I see Ballina as the perfect location for something similar to a minor injuries unit. Mayo University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital are under immense pressure. We are located halfway between them and a minor injuries unit would certainly take the pressure off the two main hospitals. The space is there, the site is there, the staff are there and the willingness is as well. What we need is a commitment from the HSE nationally because regionally the HSE is invested in this. The HSE at national level needs to get on board with Ballina hospital.

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