Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 December 2012
47. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Health if any of the 1,201 public nursing home beds closed from January 2011 to August 2012 will be reopened in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57009/12]
View answerThere are at present 129 public units providing residential care (long-term and short-term) for older people in Ireland. The Health Service Executive has recently completed a review of each of these units. The review has focused on a number of areas including each unit’s ability to meet the Health Information and Quality Authority standards in terms of staffing availability; environmental matters such as the age & structure of the home; and factors including location and stock.
The review will provide a basis for discussions between the Department and the HSE with a view to developing an overall set of proposals for the future delivery of residential care to my colleague Minister Reilly. The re-opening of beds, if possible, will be considered in the context of these proposals.
