Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Faraor géar, tá orm an t-ospidéal sa Chlochán a ardú arís. Tá a fhios ag an Aire Stáit go bhfuil sé faoi bhagairt agus i mbaol le beagnach dhá bhliain anois. An rud a chuireann isteach orm ná go bhfuil sé dúnta faoi láthair agus ní bhfuaireamar aon teachtaireacht beag ná mór faoi. Chualamar ar na meáin chumarsáide go raibh an t-ospidéal dúnta arís. Is ospidéal é atá thar a bheith tábhachtach don cheantar mar is eol don Aire Stáit. Tá an scéal seo ag dul ar aghaidh le beagnach dhá bhliain anuas. Bhí neart cruinnithe agus neart cumarsáide, ach ag an am céanna, tá an chumarsáid ag teastáil. Mar a dúirt mé, níl aon eolas agamsa ach amháin go bhfuil sé dúnta agus tá an t-eolas sin agam ó na meáin chumarsáide. Chomh maith le sin, tá sé deacair a thuiscint cad iad na fáthanna go bhfuil sé dúnta. Deirtear gur easpa foirne is cúis leis ar leibhéal amháin. Ansin, deirtear linn go bhfuil painéal acu ó thaobh altairí de ach amanta eile, agus tá sé seo tábhachtach, go bhfuil siad ag fanacht ar chead ón Rialtas le daoine a earcú. I am back again. We are into our second year now. Different colleagues has raised this at different times. We thought we had made some progress regarding Clifden District Hospital. There were meetings and one particularly fruitful meeting in Clifden where we sat down with the previous woman who has retired. It was extremely fruitful and positive. We thought we were getting some place. As we headed out of that meeting we got a prewritten press release that confirmed they were closing the hospital. That meeting sticks out in my mind. It is over a year ago now. As we went out the door we heard. The previous wonderful two-hour meeting was all at naught and then we had more meetings.

My point is I am raising the fact that Clifden District Hospital is closed once again. I learned that from the media, which is most unhelpful, and I have no idea what is going on. Going back almost two years ago, there was a union dispute. We were told the staff did not want to work between the district hospital and St. Anne's community nursing unit. We were told there was no demand. We were told of all sorts of contradictory reasons. We were told they could not get any nurses. Then we had meetings and one of the local doctors confirmed that there was a demand for respite beds and for convalescent beds.

I will put that perspective with the hospital in Galway city. Around this time last year, HIQA visited the hospital and said it was grossly overcrowded with 28 patients on trolleys. I will link it back to Clifden now. A hospital in Galway was grossly overcrowded with 28 patients on trolleys. It was the third busiest hospital and the third worst - no reflection on the staff - for waiting lists and for numbers of people on trolleys. That was a year ago. With 28 patients on trolleys, HIQA thought it was grossly overcrowded. Does the Minister of State know what the figures have been for the last while in University Hospital Galway, a year after they called it grossly overcrowded at that stage? On Monday, 12 February, there were 55 people on trolleys. To take days up to the present at random, the numbers of patients on trolleys were 60, 65 and 45 and HIQA had called it grossly overcrowded. It failed on four conditions, was partially compliant on two and was non-compliant on the others. Why am I saying all of that? In addition to that, there were over 20 patients who were ready to leave but had nowhere to go and yet we are closing down a district hospital that could provide a service to take the pressure off the regional hospital, which HIQA said a year ago was grossly overcrowded with just 28 people on trolleys. Now, it has 50 and 60 such people.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this really important matter. She referred to how she learned the news about the hospital. I learned from the Deputy's question and from a media query I got today. I am not happy with that at all. I would expect to be informed of any decision to close a ward or a hospital.

I begin by acknowledging, as the Deputy has, the vital healthcare role that Clifden District Hospital plays and the excellent level of care and support which it provides to patients and their families in the Clifden community and surrounding areas. As the Deputy has said, Clifden District Hospital has been primarily designated to provide convalescence care to patients stepping down from acute hospitals such as University Hospital Galway, as the Deputy mentioned. It cannot be underestimated how important these step-down respite beds are. This afternoon, I met Dr. Emer Ahern, who is the clinical lead for older people across the whole country and we spent a long time discussing respite, rehabilitation and the pathways for patients out of acute hospitals back home again. As we know, Clifden District Hospital provides respite beds to allow family carers in the community a welcome break.

At present, admissions to Clifden District Hospital have unfortunately been paused due to the lack of staff availability. HSE community healthcare west is actively working to recruit nursing staff. When I found out today through the Deputy's question and the press briefing that had come in, I looked for an update immediately. We are actively working to recruit nursing care and support staff in order to safely reopen the short-stay beds available in Clifden District Hospital. This also includes efforts to hire agency staff as an interim measure in order to resume services. I have been informed that no agency staff were available this week but that efforts will continue to recruit in the short term. I acknowledge that agency staff are not ideal because you need that continuity but at the same time if we can get them in the short term, that would be very important.

As the Deputy knows, Clifden District Hospital is located alongside St. Anne's community nursing unit on a shared campus in Clifden. There are 21 registered long-stay beds with HIQA in St. Anne’s community nursing unit and all beds are currently occupied. Clifden District Hospital has been operating seven beds over the past 12 months and these beds have been utilised for short-stay and respite admissions. As I stated, admissions to Clifden District Hospital have unfortunately been paused due to staffing constraints.

In the Clifden area, there have been significant challenges over many years to secure sufficient nursing staff, despite national, international and local recruitment drives. There are currently challenges in keeping both Clifden District Hospital and St. Anne’s community nursing unit open. However, staffing St. Anne’s community nursing unit has been prioritised as it provides long-term care to the 21 residents living in the facility who are there under the fair deal scheme.

I am acutely aware Clifden District Hospital is a vital element. I visited there last August and met Deputy Connolly on the same day. I was delighted to visit and to announce that there would be a new state-of-the-art 50-bed unit with en suite rooms. I am aware the planning application has been submitted and I think we expect word this week about that. At the same time, I am very conscious of those seven respite beds that have been lost. I will continue to focus on this to make sure those beds are opened as soon as possible and I will be updated weekly on the staffing situation.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. I mentioned the regional hospital - I still call it that - because it is bursting at the seams. According to HIQA, it is affected by so many issues, despite the good work of the staff. We then have a facility, Clifden District Hospital, which has, without a doubt, been run down for more than two years, with conflicting reasons given to us.

Let us look at the staff and what they told the press. I am not sure if they told the Minister of State. They said there are currently no patients in Clifden District Hospital. Day services are not affected but step-down and respite services are not available in Clifden. Can you imagine that there are no step-down and respite services? Suddenly, people can be accommodated in Merlin Park University Hospital. In Galway city, when we tried to get people into Merlin Park University Hospital based on clinical decisions, we were told there was no space but suddenly people can go to Merlin Park.

In regard to the stage the recruitment campaign is at and whether staff been hired, community healthcare west has three panels in place from which nursing staff can be recruited. Two are specifically for Clifden - and this is the best part - but they are awaiting a derogation to proceed. This derogation is presumably from the Government embargo. I presume that is what they mean there. Maybe the Minister of State can enlighten me. They said they hope to receive approval for same. They then went on to talk about planning permission. I am a bit disappointed that the beds went from 50 beds to 40 beds but that is where we are at.

I received a similar answer now, which seems to be a trend. It depends on what mood they are in as to which answer they will give us. Let us look at Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit i gcroílár na Gaeltachta, which I have raised over and over. There is a rolling recruitment campaign, which includes Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit. Interviews are currently in progress but the further progression of posts are subject to the recruitment embargo being lifted. The HSE is telling us this but the Taoiseach is telling us there is no recruitment embargo. Here we have two different responses, one in regard to Clifden and one in regard to Áras Mhic Dara, telling us there is a recruitment embargo and that they are awaiting Government approval.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I feel the Deputy's frustration because I feet it as well. The situation is that when those seven respite beds were opened over the last 12 months, the staffing for those seven beds were funded. I do not see any reason they were not funded last week. My understanding is that they are funded and this is the reason they were looking for agency staff to support that. As I said, I will request a meeting tomorrow to discuss this. When Deputy Connolly asked her question and when there was a media query, I was slightly at a disadvantage this afternoon. I got a written answer to questions that were submitted. At the same time, I know there are challenges with staff. In one sense, I am glad the 21 beds in St. Anne's community nursing unit were not affected but the importance of respite beds cannot be underestimated.

I do not often speak out as clearly as this but I know we have been challenged in the Galway area to get respite beds reopened since Covid. The meeting I had this afternoon with the clinical lead for older people was specifically with regard to respite beds and other issues. This was one of the areas we discussed and if the Deputy will give me a day or two to make more inquiries, I will come back to her in person.