Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Kieran O'Donnell for consistently raising the issues in regard to the mid-west. The Senator is correct in terms of his remarks in regard to the 60-bed modular unit. I know we are only as good as the next thing we can do for this region and that it is important that we do an awful lot more. I get that. We do have a plan to increase bed capacity by 150 or more, with the 60-bed modular unit well under way.

There are three areas we need to address. We need to examine how we can work as a group. As mentioned by the Senator, reconfiguration has happened. It happened many years ago, long before I became Minister or a Deputy. We do still have capacity within other hospitals on occasion. We need to look at how we use the group and the community together. During my recently unannounced visit to Limerick and the hospital, I spoke to people from the area and to staff at the hospital and they all expressed the view that there is more that can be done in respect of the smaller step-down hospitals. We need a plan.