Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am afraid that I would be disingenuous if I gave a commitment that no bed would close under my watch as the Minister of State or that I could reopen beds because I do not have that power. I cannot tell people to reopen beds immediately. The health and safety and the security of the patients must be considered. I am one person. I cannot dictate that any bed is opened or closed. I can work as hard as I can with the HSE to ensure beds do not close and to make sure adequate funding is there but as addressed by Senators, including Senator Ó Céidigh, it is not all about funding. There also are other issues. I am particularly interested in how we do what we do. It would be disingenuous of me to give a commitment because it is not in my gift to give a commitment that no bed will close under my watch as the Minister of State. I sincerely hope that it will not close-----