My question is for the Minister for Health and concerns the allocation of funding for the reopening of the short-stay ward at Letterkenny University Hospital. As the Minister knows, the total number of patients on trollies increased from 2,000 in 2016 to 5,000 last year and that figure will be breached again this year. The hospital and the need for additional beds have been entirely neglected by the Government. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, announced on local radio a month ago that, after discussing the matter with the Taoiseach, funding would be forthcoming for the reopening of the beds, but until now that announcement has amounted to nothing more than wind. The hospital has not been given sanction to recruit the additional staff necessary to reopen the beds. What is the status of the commitment given? Will the Minister immediately give the go-ahead for the recruitment of staff to enable the beds to be reopened as soon as possible?

I raise an issue which I have raised on many occasions in the past 18 months. Eighteen months ago Letterkenny University Hospital asked for the pressure on it to be relieved when there was an average of 19 patients on trollies every day. Within yards of where patients are lying on trollies there is a ward with 20 beds. In this instance, there is no need for capital investment but rather for sanction to employ the front-line nurses and support staff needed to run that ward, which would cost in the region of €1.8 million. It would relieve pressure on a hospital that is seriously suffering as a result of overcrowding and from a lack of capacity.

The HSE has put it forward as one of its proposals. As my colleague said, the Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, went on our local radio station and did not just say the ward would be open. He went as far as telling the public of Donegal that he had told the manager to start recruiting the staff. I hope that is the case. This ward needs to be opened to relieve the winter pressure. Will the Minister give us any commitment? Any information I have got from him indicates that it will not be open this winter, and indeed there are questions marks over whether it will be open at the start of next year.

The Minister of State is right in that the funding will be provided for those beds. In answer to Deputy McConalogue, I note that we have increased bed capacity, with 240 more beds in the system this year and 79 more due to come on stream between now and the early part of next year. We have asked the HSE to determine how to deliver the 2,600 beds. The Letterkenny short stay unit is in that next tranche. I hope and expect it to be part of the winter plan we are finalising, but I will be happy to correspond with all Donegal Deputies on it.

That concludes questions on promised legislation. Nine Deputies were not reached today.