Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

There are more than 1 million inpatient hospital visits annually and thankfully, every bit of research shows that people in hospital in this country find the services and resources provided very satisfactory. There is a very high regard for all areas of the health services. People fear hospitals as they fear dentists and doctors but they are not fearful in the manner expressed by Deputy Kenny. We have a very good inpatient and day patient service. The accident and emergency area has always been a problem. It is not today or yesterday that drunks began to come to accident and emergency units, though it is only in the past 20 years that we have seen drug users attending them. It is true we now have a violent element, and gardaí are almost permanently based in the city hospital accident and emergency units. Security personnel have been there for many years.

In December 2004 we provided money for the acute medical units at Tallaght, Beaumont and St. Vincent's hospitals. The HSE then set up a mapping report for these rather than building them straight away, but they are building them now. I am sure there were good reasons for the delay, but they were not clear to us at the outset.

With regard to step-down places for immediate care, so far there are facilities for 562 people to move out of hospital into private care. I understand there is plenty of capacity in the private sector. The HSE told me yesterday it is now taking another 250 patients out of the acute public beds and putting them into longer-stay private beds. There is a cost element to that and Deputy Kenny is aware as I am that the old system whereby people came out on subvention, which existed up to the Supreme Court decision, has almost ceased. They are not moving, but waiting until they get the private facility. That is a fact of life and we must deal with it.

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