Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the Deputy. I am advised that we have funding this year for 23 neuro-rehabilitation nurses. These will be permanent positions, not once-off ones.

As I mentioned in my earlier reply, we have a new consultant contract that is being offered. I hope the bodies that represent doctors will accept that. It will allow us to take some significant steps forward in terms of retaining and hiring specialists in neurology and other areas over the next couple of years.

In relation to CHO 8 which, I appreciate, covers Laois-Offaly, and is the priority of the Deputy's question, I do not have a detailed note on that here. I do not want to give the Deputy information that might not be correct. We will correspond with the Deputy over the course of the next week and give her any more information that we can.

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