James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

Despite what Professor Drumm has to say, I fail to see how one can possibly reduce emergency admissions by 33,000. I have spoken to accident and emergency consultants the length and breadth of this country and they are not admitting any patients that are not emergencies and that in medical terms need admission. In Galway, one of the dedicated centres for cancer care, they have reached a record level of an average of 18 patients overnighting on trolleys every single night this year to the end of February. Yesterday, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, 368 people were lying on trolleys. We learnt of a man who died in an accident and emergency department having waited there for seven hours.

A reduction of 54,000 inpatient procedures will be compensated for by an increase of 10,000 outpatient procedures. The maths does not add up. Professor Drumm has confirmed that 1,100 more beds will be closed. How is the Minister going to achieve that? Will she give us a breakdown of where the beds will be closed and what hospitals will be affected?

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