Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

The Government commits to opening surgical hubs and assessing the business case for a surgical hub in the north west. The HSE is developing that and I have yet to receive it. The factors the HSE will take into account include the population distribution. I had a very good visit to Letterkenny hospital last week and note its funding has increased by over 54% in recent years. The staff number has increased by a quarter and there has been a very significant investment, but it is also true that the surgeons in the hospital need more surgical capacity and, in particular, more beds to ensure they have scheduled surgical access. I am very well aware of that.

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