465. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if approval has been granted to Cork University Hospital to recruit the staff required to operationalise 21 additional acute inpatient beds, due to be delivered by year end. [67774/26]

466. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the status of the 21 in-patient beds due to be delivered in Cork University Hospital this year; the timeline for opening these beds; and the total additional staff requirement to operationalise all 21 beds, by grade. [67773/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 465 and 466 together.

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