Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I accept the issue is about more than washing hands, although all the international evidence and the expert medical advice available to me would suggest it makes the single greatest contribution. It will be a matter for the HSE. The audit, which will be published by the end of this month, will give us baseline figures and will provide interesting data, hospital by hospital, which can be measured on an ongoing basis. That will be significant.

There is now a major emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness. However, I accept the Deputy's point that more isolation wards are needed. The international average would suggest there should not be bed occupancy of more than 80%-85%. The hospital of the future will have many more single rooms than is the case at present. There have always been hospital infections. Our duty is to minimise these by using the hygiene tools available to us. We need more isolation facilities and it is clear that more beds would make an important contribution to this.

See this speech in context