Mr. Damien McCallion:

There is a great deal of virtual care. Ms Kenna may also want to comment on this. We have two wards live at present- in Limerick, and in St. Vincent's. They are at around 25 beds. It is clinically led, so it is only for certain diagnoses, conditions and treatments. It is managed carefully in terms of the nature of the patients who avail of it. We think we can move to larger numbers, both in those two facilities and throughout the country. We are trialling other initiatives in respect of virtual care in the community, between the community and hospitals and self-care for people. There are another 12 projects running behind that. The virtual wards certainly give huge potential. You do not have the capital investment to make, and the time delays, so you can get beds in much quicker. The typical construction cost of a bed is well over €1 million, and you are saving that. However, it is important that it is clinically led and only for certain conditions. It is then managed through.