Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says it remains committed to the ongoing recruitment of staff and plans to increase capacity at the West Kerry Community Hospital.
This follows calls from Kerry County Councillors earlier this week for all beds at the hospital to be opened and for the original plan for the West Kerry hospital to be implemented.
Ospidéal Pobal Chorca Dhuibhne opened in 2008 and was granted funding of over €16 million to deliver badly needed services for West Kerry, including over 60 beds.
Councillors say the hospital has never operated at full capacity.
At Monday’s council meeting Fianna Fáil councillor Breandán Fitzgerald and Fine Gael councillor Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald raised concerns about the West Kerry Community Hospital.
Cllr Breandán Fitzgerald stated there was no hospice bed available at the facility, while Councillor Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald stated a man who lived in West Kerry was recently sent to Cahersiveen for care when he was dying.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says the current bed capacity at the hospital is 46, with all beds currently in use.
The bed breakdown consist of 35 long-stay, seven community support which includes GP access, two palliative care and two respite beds.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says should additional palliative placements be required, placement will be provided from within the community support beds, as available.
It adds that HIQA carried out an inspection at West Kerry Community Hospital in recent months, which found the centre to have satisfactory and appropriate staffing numbers and skill mix.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says it remains committed to the ongoing recruitment of staff for West Kerry Community Hospital and plans to increase capacity at this facility once additional staff have been recruited.