Vol. 573 No. 3
482 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of acute hospital beds that are occupied at present in public hospitals due to the fact that appropriate long-term nursing home beds or home help packages are unavailable; and if this information can be supplied on a health board basis throughout the country. [25320/03]
The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department. It has, therefore, asked the chief executive officer of the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the chief executive officers of the health boards to look into the matter and reply directly to the Deputy.
483 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of long-term nursing home beds unoccupied at present in public hospitals and nursing homes in each health board area throughout the country. [25321/03]
As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the provision of long-term beds in public hospitals is, in the first instance, the responsibility of the health boards. My Department has, therefore, asked the chief executive officers of the boards to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply direct to him, as a matter of urgency. With regard to the number of unoccupied long-term beds in private nursing homes, I understand that this information is not held in health boards as a matter of course.
