Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The HSE has got clearance for another 250 private beds which will take long-term public acute patients. That is in addition to the 250 beds provided in November. The HSE informs me that it gets a benefit of about three months when the patients are removed. Older people then fill those beds and the difficulty recurs.

Deputy Kenny's last point is valid and the HSE is prioritising it. The HSE is trying to deal with the issue of comfort and dignity and sanitary requirements. Hospitals have made a number of proposals which the HSE is trying to deal with under the capital programme for this year, which should help. Some work has been done in the area but there is work to be done in hospitals in Letterkenny, Wexford, Tallaght, the Mater and Beaumont in terms of increasing bed numbers. I hope this will be helpful over the course of this year. It is not a matter of resources, which are available in all these cases. It is a matter of moving on and completing the plans.

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