Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I remind the Deputy that the agreement to provide 3,000 additional public beds was reached separately to any analysis of bed capacity in the private sector. The Deputy is aware that 53% of the population has private health insurance. When we consider the issue of acute bed capacity, we need to examine this country's total bed capacity and ensure that we use all the facilities available to us as effectively and efficiently as possible. The mapping exercise that the National Hospitals Office has completed in respect of ten hospitals is being carried out with a view to ascertaining the efficiency and effectiveness of current hospital practices. It is the case throughout the world that more and more hospital activity is being done on a day case basis. The reality is that Ireland has more hospital beds pro rata than the UK. While 17% of the population of the UK is over the age of 65, just 11% of our population is over that age. We are putting more emphasis on community-based services, particularly for the elderly, which is necessary. On a certain date a couple of weeks ago — I do not have the figures for today or yesterday — up to 400 people who did not need to be in hospital were in hospitals in Dublin. They were medically fit to be discharged, but we were not in a position to put alternative arrangements in place for them. I am determined to resolve this problem over the next number of months. Such people comprise the capacity of a whole hospital, in effect. When we speak about bed numbers, we need to consider the appropriate use of existing beds. In particular, we need to put a greater emphasis on resourcing community-based and home-based services for elderly patients. The Government intends to provide such resources later this year with a view to putting such services in place next year.

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