Ms Eilísh Hardiman:

As part of planning for the capacity requirements, we took into account the model of care and how technology can help. I am glad to report we are implementing some of the changes at present whereby we are running virtual clinics without patients having face-to-face contact with the clinician but with the clinicians communicating to them either by telephone or by Skype. We are also running trauma access clinics, for example, whereby clinicians are looking at the digital presentations and not having to bring the patient in but communicating. We are demonstrating that, and as part of our planning we included a percentage for where we expect that technology to be. Where it will increase, however, our clinicians will still have to be in a room communicating possibly with patients at home or with clinicians in Cork or Limerick. We have identified that they still need to be in a space somewhere.

The Deputy is correct that there are still 380 beds in this hospital, as was projected at the time. It is important that one of the things that definitely has deteriorated is our ability to meet our clinical demand.