Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In his presentation, the Minister mentioned the hospital being used as a step-down facility. Have we advanced that research at this stage? A recent report indicated that people with dementia who are returning home had an average stay in hospital of 22 days, whereas those who were getting nursing home places had an average stay in hospital of 59 days. In view of that, there is an urgent need to examine step-down facilities. Have we made an advance on this issue concerning Mount Carmel? The figure of 59 days is more than eight weeks in hospital, so there is a huge cost factor to the State. A stay in hospital costs roughly a minimum of €6,000 per week. In that context, perhaps Mount Carmel could be used as a step-down facility for the greater Dublin area.