Responsibility for the provision of services at the Cavan Monaghan hospital group rests with the North Eastern Health Board. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer of the board to reply directly to the Deputy in respect of bed numbers in 1997 and now at Cavan and Monaghan General Hospitals. The position on the provision of additional beds is as follows. My Department has approved revenue funding of €500,000 to commission ten additional day beds at Monaghan General Hospital. These beds are designed to facilitate the development of surgical services across the Cavan Monaghan hospital group. The commissioning of these beds is being progressed by the board.
The board has recently submitted proposals to my Department for the provision of an additional 19 beds at Cavan General Hospital as part of the reconfiguration of services across the group. This submission is now being examined by my Department.