Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for facilitating me. I have two quick questions. I welcome the fact that the HSE is providing funding for 15 beds to be opened at St. John's hospital in Limerick. However, I have learned from my own inquiries made on Monday that those 15 beds have not been in use for the last three months. At the same time, there is continuous and severe overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. By all means, we should push for the new MRI scanner there, because it would be fantastic. Why were those 15 beds not put into use three months ago, when there is such a big crisis in Limerick on a continual basis?

The building of the 60-bed block is under way, and the 90-bed block will be going in for planning permission shortly. What measures is the HSE taking, at both national and local level, to ensure all existing bed capacity is being used? What is being done to ensure all the beds in University Hospital Limerick, St. John's, Ennis, Nenagh and Croom hospitals are being used on an ongoing basis? I was shocked to hear that 15 of the 89 beds in St. John's have been out of use for the last three months. That is unforgivable and unacceptable. It was a breaking point and a red line for me. The Government is willing to give whatever resources are required, so I need an answer to these questions. When did the witnesses first know about the 15 beds and why were they not brought into use three months ago? What is being done to manage the beds in the five hospitals in the group, namely, UHL, St. John's, Ennis, Nenagh and Croom? I was at a mass in a village in east Limerick on Sunday, where nursing homes were advertising that they have spare capacity. Is due diligence is being done to ensure available nursing home beds and step-down facilities are being used? I am looking for solutions here. Deputy Kelly noted that we are all looking for solutions, and we must use the existing resources to the maximum. I ask the witnesses to address why the 15 beds in St. John's were not put to use three months ago, and whether we are making use of all the available bed capacity in the region.