I thank the Deputy. I am happy to look into it but my initial understanding is that this was always to be 44 additional beds in the overall construction. Will the Deputy please allow me to look into it and come back to him?

Sentiment score: 0.39

I thank the Deputy. One of the things we are checking is where the responsibility lies with some of the different changes. It is important to recognise that while we have provisions for older people and many of the guidelines relate to this area, my early understanding is that there is space to do an awful lot more here. I will look into the issue and come back to the Deputy, if that is okay, because it is very much an issue of understanding.

Sentiment score: -0.03

I compliment the excellent work done by Connolly Hospital, not only on keeping its trolley count down but also on the range of different work it is doing. I refer to the capital investment the hospital deserves to continue to do that. Our plans for Connolly Hospital, with a catchment area of 300,000 people as identified by the Deputy, are to maintain and extend the children's service, the paediatric service, while there will also be a new dental training and surgical facility there. Of course, it will also be the site of the major elective hospital. The Deputy is, therefore, absolutely right. Connolly Hospital is already an excellent facility and is going to be the beneficiary of major capital investment in the next period of time. I look forward to working with the Deputy on the range of different issues.

Sentiment score: 0.21

I thank the Deputy for flagging this issue to me in advance so I could get additional information for this very short window I have to reply to him. He is right to highlight the gaps and the 277 posts that are funded but have not yet been recruited for. It is not through lack of trying. We have increased our numbers in the healthcare system very considerably but we have the funding and wish to do more. A very significant capital programme is going into this hospital, as the Deputy is aware, including the CT upgrade, the dolmen wing, the 86-bed accommodation block, a better outpatient department, the acute floor extension, and ancillary services such as the car park. He is quite right to raise the investment needed in this very good hospital. I will continue to work on it but we struggle to recruit, even though we have these funded positions.

Sentiment score: 0.25