Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will give a brief reply to the question on long-stay beds. I apologise to the Deputy but I should has answered his question. Although the matter is ringing alarm bells, it is something that we have known for some considerable time.

The difference is that we do now know what we need. The difficulty is that we do not have the resources to supply it. For the first time ever we have a very good handle on the situation, what the need is and what the increasing need will be. We have 124 public sector bed units. We are determined that we will not lose any of them and we have a programme in place for refurbishment and for new builds. Mr. Pat Healy could perhaps give more details on Waterford, which is getting a new 50 bed community nursing unit, CNU. That type of development is ongoing and it is not all in the private sector. We cannot afford to lose beds in the private sector either because of the demographic demand. For the first time ever, we know what we need and we know where we need it.

Another factor which comes across from time to time, which I find very disturbing, is that not everyone in a bed awaiting another bed in an acute hospital is an older person. We must get that into our heads as well. The argument takes place that somehow or other we are concentrating on the public sector and at other times on the private sector. The beds are needed and what we should concentrate on is the quality of care. It will be a different type of care for each person. There will be step-down intensive rehabilitation and all the other treatments that are required. We are working very hard to find a solution. It is correct to say that we cannot afford to lose any bed in either the private sector or the public sector.