Róisín Shortall
Question:255 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 143 of 27 January 2004 and 79 of 22 June 2004, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the €13.8 million provided to the ERHA to facilitate the discharge of patients from the acute system has only facilitated 63 patients in the past five months; if he has satisfied himself with this level of progress; if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) which says that 75 patients in the Beaumont Hospital and 53 in the Mater were ready for discharge but were retained in the hospitals due to the fact that no step-down facilities were available; his views on this report; the period for which the €13.8 million covers; if he will make further funding available to alleviate the congestion in these hospitals and the enormous pressure on accident and emergency services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21169/04]
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