The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, has expressed its concern around the number of patients on trolleys in Sligo University Hospital, SUH. I have raised this issue with the Taoiseach many times, most recently last December when there were 25 patients on trolleys in SUH. The Taoiseach said that he would ask the HSE to focus specifically on Sligo to determine how it could be helped further to alleviate pressure there in the next while. Yesterday there were 39 patients on trolleys in SUH. Today there are 50. That is double what it was when I raised that with the Taoiseach last December. These figures are not an aberration. I have looked at the analysis of Trolley Watch figures. Nationally, for the month of January from 2006 to 2022, the increase in numbers nationally was 22%. Does the Taoiseach know what it was in SUH? It was over 400%. Those figures are unbelievable but true.

Time is up.

It is an emergency. We need action.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. There are challenges and pressures at Sligo General Hospital, as the Deputy outlined. Of that there is no doubt.

The HSE is working actively with sites of concern, including Sligo, to mitigate the situation. Key actions include reviewing discharges and egress options, liaising with smaller hospitals in the group to facilitate transfers, as appropriate, reviewing ED attendances, establishing alternative care pathways, as appropriate, in collaboration with community health organisation services and, of course, the prioritisation of diagnostics to aid in patient discharges. Capital funding has been allocated in 2022 to progress a new 42-bed medical block and two further floors, with four floors in total, for expansion of day services activities, including a car park extension at Sligo University Hospital. Included in these works is a new build consisting of 120 m by 210 m to enable the relocation of nuclear medicine and the reconfiguration of existing nuclear medicine with extension to take a second CT scanner and accompanying requirements. Additional critical care capacity with the provision of four new isolation rooms at the ICU in Sligo University Hospital was designed and procured in 2020. Construction is nearing completion. A two-storey modular extension at the front of the hospital was funded as part of the response to Covid 19 and became operational in January. That has provided additional waiting areas and treatment spaces for patients, as well as additional staff facilities. Minor internal department reconfiguration is to be completed by the end of May. Much capital work is, therefore, going in there to try to alleviate the pressures.