Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, as regards cancer care, there is an important issue to acknowledge. I want to acknowledge, on the record of the Dáil, that there are clinical specialist radiation therapists and radiation therapy posts in the hospital that are currently vacant. Approximately 25% of these posts are vacant. I want to be absolutely crystal clear; those posts are funded and there are two open recruitment campaigns for those posts. I hope and expect to see progress because I know how important that is.

As for the options appraisal, we have a made a policy decision, which is very much in line with Sláintecare, to decouple emergency care from elective care. We sometimes lose people with those words because what do they mean? It means decoupling people who need to go into our hospital emergency from the people who need planned hospital procedures. That work is now under way. I am not standing here suggesting everything in relation to the health service in Galway is as it needs to be. I am saying, however, with genuine belief and facts, that in the lifetime of this Government, there are more nurses and doctors working in the hospital, staff numbers have grown, the budget has increased, and trolley numbers are down. There are more beds and there is much more to come.

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