Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Both the Deputy and I will agree that there have not been and there are not enough beds in the public health service. Since the start of Covid we have added nearly 1,000 beds. It is the biggest increase in beds in public hospitals since the formation of the HSE and long before that, according to my understanding. The Sláintecare report sets out a target for us, which I think we are all signed up to. Under the reform scenario that is happening we need an extra 2,400 beds over the period of the report. With the 1,000 beds that have been added, we are now significantly ahead of the Sláintecare target. The current pipeline of new beds will pull us further ahead.