Wexford gardaí are under considerable pressure. This due in no small part to the success of Rosslare Europort, where many of the Garda's resources are new deployed. Several business cases for extra resources have been submitted by senior gardaí in Wexford. What is the timeline on those resources? We also have two gardaí who are travelling from Wexford to Dundalk and Drumcondra every day. I ask that their transfer request be completed.

I can answer with respect to Limerick. It might surprise colleagues to hear the workforce in UHL has increased by 1,000 people since the start of Covid.

So why are we keeping the theatres shut?

The Deputy will be aware this year will be the fourth year of record recruitment into the HSE-----

They are shut.

-----since the foundation of the HSE.

The theatres are shut.

Thus, in spite of the rhetoric around it not being possible to hire-----

But they are shut.

Deputy-----

-----a single doctor or nurse in this country, this is going to be the fourth year of record recruitment-----

The theatres are shut.

-----and the individual hospital the Deputy is talking about will have 1,000 extra staff now compared with three years ago.

The theatres are shut.

Deputy, the question is put; we need the answer.

On the other matter, Deputy Verona Murphy will appreciate the deployment of Garda resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner rather than the Government but it is the Government's job to make sure there are more gardaí, and we are doing that. We have provided funding for an additional 1,000 to be recruited this year. That does not mean an extra 1,000 gardaí because there will be retirements, but it will allow for several hundred additional gardaí. I hope that will include additional gardaí for Wexford and for the Garda National Immigration Bureau, GNIB, as I accept it needs them.

On the issue of transfers, the Deputy was not asking me to do this but the era when Ministers get involved in Garda transfers has, I think, long since passed.

The system is too slow.