In May, I raised the unacceptable closure of the medical assessment unit in Nenagh hospital due to staff shortages. Thankfully, I have been informed by hospital staff that the unit has been fully operational since then. In response to a parliamentary question, the HSE informed me that work is ongoing to recruit a permanent team and a consultant there. It also stated the medical assessment unit was closed for patient safety reasons due to staff shortages. This is a two-way street. Patients need this medical assessment unit open and fully operational or the only option they will have is the accident and emergency department in University Hospital Limerick. Last week, the registrar of the medical assessment unit handed in her registration, so now there is no permanent registrar and no permanent consultant. I ask the Minister to ensure the HSE immediately recruits for these two positions-----

Thank you, Deputy. We are over time. The Minister to reply.

-----with a permanent functioning team behind them in order that the medical assessment unit in Nenagh Hospital can be fully operational at all times.

We are over time. The Minister to reply, thank you.

It is an issue right around the country. Earlier this year, as well as during the Covid pandemic, the Government agreed incredible planned increases in staff within our hospitals and healthcare systems. Many of those have been delivered but we are still waiting on other positions to be filled. It is proving difficult. There are skills shortages in our country, which are not helped by the restrictions on travel that Covid has brought. This is not because of a lack of budget or a lack of will. What is happening in Nenagh is a very good example of the difficulty in finding people to fill those positions. I ask the Deputy to provide me with details and I will check with the Minister for Health if there are any reasons this has been delayed other than a shortage of suitable applicants coming forward. If there is any other obstacle, we will have to address it.