Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004
90 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of additional beds which have been brought into use in the acute hospital system under the initiative for 750 extra beds announced in 2002; the location of these beds; the location of the 300 new beds which she plans to open in 2005; and if these are additional to the 2002 announcement. [30641/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra96 Ms McManus asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, further to her announcement in the Estimates of 2005 of 300 new hospital beds, if these are new beds or if they have been announced previously; if they are part of the commitment on new beds promised in the national health strategy in 2001; if these new beds are among those announced by the Taoiseach in Dáil Éireann recently; when these beds will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30676/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 96 together.
The Government is committed to increasing acute hospital bed capacity as indicated in the health strategy. Since the publication of the strategy in December 2001, funding has been provided to hospitals to open an additional 900 beds. This includes the 700 beds provided under the bed capacity initiative announced in 2002 and 200 beds provided as part of the commissioning of new units announced in September this year. The following table shows details of the position at October 2004 on additional beds for which funding has been provided.
|
Hospital |
Additional beds in place |
Beds due to open |
|
Beaumont-St. Joseph’s, Raheny |
77 |
28 |
|
St. James’s |
74 |
66 |
|
St. Vincent’s, incorporating St. Michael’s, Dún Laoghaire |
42 |
|
|
Naas General |
61 |
30 |
|
James Connolly Memorial |
21 |
|
|
Tallaght |
7 |
|
|
Temple Street |
15 |
|
|
Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore |
6 |
|
|
Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar |
12 |
|
|
Midland Regional Hospital, Port Laoise |
5 |
|
|
Mid West Regional Hospital, Limerick |
55 |
|
|
Croom Orthopaedic |
17 |
|
|
Nenagh General |
6 |
|
|
Louth General |
14 |
|
|
Monaghan General |
10 |
|
|
Our Lady’s Navan |
14 |
|
|
Letterkenny General |
8 |
|
|
Sligo General |
30 |
|
|
Kilcreene Orthopaedic |
28 |
|
|
St. Luke’s Kilkenny |
14 |
|
|
Waterford Regional |
24 |
|
|
Wexford General |
10 |
|
|
Bantry General |
8 |
|
|
Mercy University Hospital |
13 |
|
|
South Infirmary-Victoria, Cork |
35 |
|
|
Kerry General, Tralee |
16 |
|
|
Mayo General |
23 |
37 |
|
Roscommon General Hospital |
9 |
|
|
UCHG |
36 |
44 |
|
Portiuncula |
3 |
2 |
|
Total |
600 |
300 |
|
Overall Total |
900 |
The beds referred to by the Taoiseach in the Dáil are part of the overall 900 beds. In my announcement of the health Estimates for 2005, I referred to an additional 300 beds as detailed above. In addition, beds will be provided in the new acute medical units as part of the Government's initiative on accident and emergency Departments. The commissioning of the 300 beds detailed above and the new acute medical units will take place in 2004-05.
