James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

That statistic applies across the country. The figures I have indicate there are only 22 beds. However, the real point of this question is to demonstrate that the reason we have such a crisis in accident and emergency departments in large urban areas and particularly in north Dublin, with both Beaumont and the Mater Hospitals suffering enormous delays, is the inability of hospitals to discharge patients back into the community. That inability is caused by the fact that an insufficient number of long-term care beds are available to such hospitals.

Information I have received from Nursing Homes Ireland indicates there are 1,810 nursing home beds lying idle around the country as we speak. I am not sure how many of those beds are in Dublin but I understand that it is in the hundreds. We must bear in mind that 130 patients were lying in beds and effectively blocking day-care beds which were earmarked for day-case surgery. This is what is frustrating the entire system. It is penny wise but pound foolish. There are beds available to which hospital patients should be discharged. Given the fact that we have a shortage of such beds in the public system, will the Minister of State give an undertaking to explore, with the private sector, the provision of such beds under contract until new beds have been built, if that is deemed necessary?

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