Ms Caroline Gourley:

Eighty-two percent of residential care is long term. It is not patient centred nor patient focused in the community. They do not get to choose where they go. The residents themselves are put wherever a bed is available. With privatisation nationally in the country, when nursing homes close, which they can do due to HIQA, we then have to source beds within the public area for those patients. It is very difficult. As Ms Ní Sheaghdha already alluded to, HSE accommodation is all multiple occupancy. People do not want to share anymore. Covid-19 had a huge impact on whether people shared rooms. They now want single rooms. The majority of beds within the public sector need refurbishment. They need to be changed. To meet the service need, we need about 10,000 long-term beds in the public service. Therefore, it has all been outsourced.