Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I think the Minister for coming in. I will concentrate on a number of issues. The first concerns the Minister's submission on budget 2021 and ICU beds. The Minister committed to 321 ICU beds by the end of next year. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association says we need 579 beds right now. There is a shortfall of nearly 260. Is the Minister confident he can deliver those beds? More importantly, as we heard from representatives from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, a couple of weeks ago, there is a serious shortage of ICU nurses and staff. Are the Minister, the HSE and the Department of Health confident they can meet the demand for these specialised nurses and ICU beds?