Ms Jacinta Hastings:

Traditionally, the inpatient bed capacity has predominantly been in the private sector. As to the public sector, for quite some time, as we have seen in the policy, the need to expand the bed capacity, which comprises three beds in St. Vincent's Hospital, has been identified. Each of the three community healthcare organisations, CHOs, has identified the need to increase bed capacity in the public sector, which would bring capacity up to 26 beds in the public sector. We would still have the private sector beds, which are occasionally utilised by the HSE when someone cannot access a public bed.