Killybegs Community Hospital beds
Senator Boyle said only six beds are open at Killybegs Community Hospital despite assurances that beds and staffing would be restored.
Coming from Ulster, I too would like to be associated with the kind words about Ciara Mageean. To be honest, I do not think that I can say any more than my colleague who paid a lovely tribute to Ciara. I say very well done to Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn.
Today, I want to mention the Killybegs Community Hospital and the Leader has probably heard me mention the hospital before in here. On 19 May, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, told me that beds were going to be reopened and staff would be put back in place. To my knowledge, only six beds are open and seven beds are lying empty, which I have been told is down to a staffing issue. We really need to get this matter sorted. The community hospital serves a region that spans Ardara, Glenties, Kilcar, Carrick, Killybegs, Dunkineely, the Mountcharles area and the whole south west of Donegal. My phone rings every day with people looking to get elderly people into the hospital.
It would break your heart to try to tell them that there is, as the man says, no room at the inn. We need to get these beds open and get a plan and a timeline in place. The Minister of State came in and said this was going to be done. I need to be able to go back to the people of south Donegal and tell them it is going to be done at such-and-such a time. We need a clear pathway here. Maybe the Leader could get a couple of answers for me because I do not seem to be getting any place with it and the people of Donegal are getting fed up.