Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I am sorry Deputy Kenny thought my first answer did not deal with the issue. We have given the highest priority to emergency medicine departments. We have put in a large amount of resources — I will not rattle off the figures — to facilitate the discharge of patients who have completed their acute phases of treatment. Already, approximately 520 patients have been discharged and resources have also been given this year to facilitate more discharges. These patients are discharged mainly to private nursing homes.

In the Dublin academic teaching hospitals this summer, the Minister for Health and Children provided for the appointment of special nurses for accident and emergency, establishment of rapid assessment teams, a clinical decisions unit and provision of multi-disciplinary teams to assist patients. We have also increased the number of emergency consultants.

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