Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will give the Deputy some more information. The HSE has confirmed there are 24 whole-time equivalents approved to support operation of the second cath lab, with 21 whole-time equivalents currently in post. The HSE has confirmed that interviews for two healthcare assistants are scheduled for 21 September, which is today, and the recruitment campaign for a senior cardiac psychologist - one of three for the second cath lab - is under way. The hospital will use a combination of day beds and recovery spaces to support the second cath lab. The medium to long-term options for recovery beds being discussed with HSE estates involve the relocation of the on-call residents at the hospital and refurbishment of this area.

The Deputy is quite right in what he said and we have all heard the Minister say it. At a recent visit to the hospital in July 2023, the Minister asked the hospital to work towards an 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. service for the second cath lab at the hospital by year end 2023 and that is where the situation currently is. The onus is on all of us, me as Minister of State in the Department of Health and working with all my colleagues, that this is the next step for us to deliver it incrementally.

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