I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the time to speak about the hospital in Dingle. In 2008, Ospidéal Pobal Chorca Dhuibhne was granted funding of €16.4 million and promised to deliver badly needed services for west Kerry, including 76 beds, an X-ray service and a place where minor injuries could be treated. The hospital, however, has not fared well under successive Governments and is operating now at 30 beds below capacity. It never provided more than 54 beds. Given the storm that happened recently and the extra pressure that is on the health service, there is a need for extra services on the peninsula. Eight residential beds and eight short-stay beds have been closed due to lack of staff. The fact that the hospital has never delivered on its full potential is, in my view, a disgrace. As a former Minister for Health, what is the Taoiseach going to do about the matter?

I remember we were involved in getting it established and getting the momentum behind getting the new facility built. One of the major issues, notwithstanding the fact that we have recruited over 11,000 extra healthcare workers in the past two years, is that it still remains a challenge to recruit the necessary medical and nursing personnel to facilities. Again, we will work with the HSE to see what we can do to expand the facility in Chorca Dhuibhne.