I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together.
Palliative care services in the Western Health Board region are provided in a range of settings. Specialist palliative care in-patient services are provided by the Galway Hospice Foundation in Renmore and funded by the Western Health Board. Specialist palliative care is also provided, in the acute hospital setting, by a multidisciplinary consultant-led team and palliative support beds are provided in Ballina and Belmullet. In addition, day care services are available at the specialist palliative care unit in Renmore and home care services are provided in Galway, Roscommon and Mayo. The palliative care service — hospital, hospice and community — emerged in a very positive light in a needs assessment carried out by the board with the service structure and multidisciplinary team providing quality care for patients, families and carers. With the support of Mayo-Roscommon Hospice, additional nursing and allied health professional staff have been recruited since the needs assessment was carried out, further strengthening the service. The board has obtained financial clearance from my Department to proceed with the recruitment of a second palliative care consultant and my Department has also acknowledged the need for a third palliative care consultant post for the Western Health Board.
The health board sought the advice of Comhairle na nOspidéal on how best to structure the consultant-led service in this new and evolving specialty to provide a quality service throughout the region. A subcommittee of Comhairle has met with representatives of the board, the Galway Hospice Foundation and the Mayo-Roscommon Hospice on two occasions and discussions are ongoing.
When posts are approved by Comhairle nan-Ospidéal, they are filled through the local appointments commission in accordance with the statutory regulations governing such appointments in the public sector. Palliative medicine is a relatively young specialty with few trained specialists in Ireland. It has not been possible to locate a locum consultant either in Ireland, the UK or further afield in South Africa or Australia, despite the use of informal and formal channels including advertisements and recruitment agencies. The board will continue to explore all avenues with a view to securing the services of a locum consultant.