553. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date on which Cork University Hospital submitted its request to the national HSE for approval to recruit a replacement clinical nurse specialist to support skin cancer follow-up; the current status of that request; the reason it remains outstanding after a vacancy of approximately seven months; the date by which approval is expected to issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66526/26]

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.