The Taoiseach visited South Tipperary General Hospital recently and met with management there. They implored him to provide funding of circa €7 million to finish the refurbishment of the old St. Michael's unit, which was a wonderful institution, to create 33 extra beds. The hospital is at double the capacity it was at 15 years ago, and many patients come to it from west Waterford. The building is three quarters finished. The Taoiseach was quoted in the media as saying he could not understand why this has not been done and that it is the low-hanging fruit. Whether apples, pears or oranges - I hope not bananas - we want this fruit. It has to be delivered for the management there, the very hard-working and dedicated staff and the patients. They have the beds and the other furniture. The heating and a few other elements are to be fitted out properly. Above all, there are 80% of the staff for it, management informed me last night. When will the Government give them the low-hanging fruit?

Bananas are very good for you and you should take one a day.

They can repeat on you.

They contain plenty of potassium.

The Deputy is a bit late to this issue.

Am I?

Yes. I think Deputy Cahill and others have been advocating on it, but Deputy McGrath is correct in quoting me and can rest assured that I have approached the Minister for Health and the HSE on this and we are pushing issues of additional capacity. I commend the staff in Clonmel. I was given a wonderful tour there. The staff have displayed great enthusiasm and teamwork in the midst of the pandemic and in the context of the extension we are opening and the additional facilities that have been already invested in in the form of the modular building, which has transformed the hospital, to be fair, but more work is needed now. I particularly enjoyed the visit to the paediatric ward. I got a very good presentation on the issue-----

Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan airgead?

-----from the head of nursing there, who knew her stuff.

We need the money.

The hospital has always required money.

Low-hanging fruit, the Taoiseach said.

This is not new.

Anyway, the Deputy should not forget the odd banana in future.