Is féidir linn bogadh ar aghaidh go Ceist Uimh. 7 in ainm an Teachta Gino Kenny, arís.

It is Deputy Paul Murphy's question on nursing vacancies.

I am glad the Ministers are here. Táimid ar ais arís go dtí an ospidéal sa Chlochán. I am asking for an update for the recruitment of the required staffing resources to ensure Clifden District Hospital will remain open on a permanent basis. Will the Ministers zone in on that in their contributions?

I thank the Minister of State. It is not a mutual admiration club but I want to pay tribute to her own hands-on approach. Having said that, this hospital has been limping from week to week. Back in October 2022, which is almost four years ago, it was announced that Clifden hospital would be closing. It was a terrible blow and all of the local representatives, those from Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and everyone, were in. I pay tribute to them all. There were public meetings and the sense of frustration at those meetings …

Yesterday, there were 57 people on trolleys in Galway. I will be coming to this later during Leaders' Questions. I give forewarning to the Minister there and to the Taoiseach that I will be coming back to Galway later. There were 57 people on trolleys. Have any of us spent time on trolleys? If we did, I think it would be sorted out very quickly. We go back again. There are beds empty in Merlin Park University Hospital and in the heart of the Gaeltacht, sa Cheathrú Rua. There are empty beds and no staff. Then we hav…

What will happen to the district hospital?

I am returning to the issue of sprat. I ask the Minister for an update on the status of plans for the introduction of measures to protect the sprat fishery, which is concentrated within the six nautical mile zone, and to provide a status update on the review of trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone.

I certainly understand the background to this and I am on record as saying the policy was very good and the intent was great. Unfortunately, we have been through what we have been through, and the Minister mentioned 2018. Of course, it is important to say that sprat is not subject to a quota. As a forage fish, it is a vital source of food for other fish and mammals and it is vital for the marine ecosystem. Yet, here we are. The policy has been gone since 2018 and it is now 2024. I welcome that the Minister held ano…

I thank the Minister. It is very important to give a timeline. The policy was good. The courts did not strike down the policy; in fact, they made it clear that they had no input at all into the policy. As far as they could see, it was a good, sustainable policy and the Government was entitled to do that. What happened was that eventually the Court of Appeal, and earlier the High Court on different grounds in terms of the consultation, found that the Department failed to notify Europe and failed to notify England. T…

I am seeking an update on the work of the wool council. Of the €30,000 allocated to the wool council, how much, if any, has been drawn down? Where are we at with regard to the recommendations from the consultants who carried out a report on the potential for wool?

I thank the Minister of State for the update. The programme for Government contains a promise and an objective that the Government would explore the range of possibilities with wool. In the 21st century and in the face of climate change, it is just extraordinary that wool is classified as a waste product. I am trying to get to a point where there is a thriving industry encompassing the range of possibilities wool presents. The Minister of State is far more familiar with this issue than I am, but I have made myself …

The demand is there. This was included in the programme for Government in 2020. It is now 2024. It took up to 1 July 2022 to get the report. It took another length of time to establish a council. There was an interim chair and now there is another interim chair. We are still wondering whether there is a demand but, in the 21st century, having declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, the obvious answer is to build sustainable industries around wool, along with seaweed, to empower local people to live sustainab…

I would love it if the Minister of State shared the possibilities and the potential around wool.

Táim ag díriú isteach ar ospidéal na Gaillimhe arís agus ar an méid othair atá ar thralaithe, 62 inniu. Tá daoine ag fulaingt agus ag fáil bháis ar thralaithe fad is atáimid ag caint is ag ceiliúradh torthaí na dtoghchán. I am glad the Minister is here today. He previously served as Minister for public expenditure and reform and he is currently the Minister for Finance. His brief directly relates to the issue I will bring up. As I speak, 62 patients are on trolleys in a hospital that is billed as a centre of excell…

One almost loses the will to live in regard to this. In 2014, the accident and emergency unit was deemed not fit for purpose. Ten years later, it is still not fit for purpose. The Minister tells me money is going into it. There are 62 people on trolleys. They should not be on trolleys. We live in a Republic. The Government has normalised a situation where patients are on trolleys. I know that each of the Ministers personally thinks that is horrific, but it is time to look at what is happening. The Minister should s…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37. Níl ann ach ceist amháin: Deputy Frankie Feighan - To discuss reform of the current school transport scheme. The Deputy has one 12-minute slot, not 48 minutes.

Go raibh maith agat. Just a gentle reminder to everyone, I have my phone on silent mode.

Resume your seats.

Deputies, resume your seats.

I have been in this job for four years, Deputies, and never once have I been ignored in this manner.