Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I will respond. I am open to correction but I think the Sláintecare target was 80%. I am speaking from memory.

That was looked at across Europe and 80% was seen as a decent level. I see here that the OECD level is about 85%. We are regularly in the high 90s. The current situation is not sustainable. Regarding the targets set out, there was the 2018 capacity review, which the Deputy will be aware of. That had a very wide range. In a no-reform scenario, in excess of additional 7,000 beds would be required and in a full reform scenario, the figure would be about 2,400. The Government plan was to add beds in line with the lower number, which was 2,400. The good news is that by the time Covid arrived, that target was being met in terms of a 13- or 14-year increase in beds. We have significantly increased the rate at which we are adding through Covid. We are now well ahead of 2018 report and the Government position, which is that we need 2,400 beds. We are now about halfway - correct me if I am wrong - between the no reform and full reform scenarios. However, my view, and that of the Department and the HSE, is that we have to review the 2018 report. Demographics have changed and our population has increased. My suspicion is that the report might have low-balled the number of beds we need. Hence, even though we have added nearly 1,000, we now have an accelerated plan for another 1,500 on top of that. In parallel, there is long-term planning going on. We have the national children's hospital, the national maternity hospital, the elective hospitals and so on coming through.