Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Minister for Health if recruitment has commenced to staff the short stay ward at Letterkenny University Hospital; the number of staff and relevant grades which have been advertised for the ward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43297/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Arising from the recommendations in the Health Service Capacity Review, my Department engaged with the HSE this year to identify the location and mix of beds across the hospital system which could be frontloaded to address pressures being experienced in our hospital Emergency Departments.

This process culminated in the development by the HSE of a Capacity Plan, which identified over 600 acute beds and 290 residential care beds, to be phased in between 2018 and 2020, including a 20-bed short stay ward in Letterkenny University Hospital.

As a first step towards the implementation of the Capacity Plan, €10 million in funding is being made available in 2019 to prepare the ground for opening additional acute beds for winter 2019/2020. My Department is currently engaging with the HSE to finalise the details of this investment.