Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

I concur with Deputy Crowe that the manner in which the staff and residents were informed of the situation through the media is totally unacceptable. The centre is home to some people. What will happen to the number of long-term beds in the region? The transfer of people who no longer need acute care will have profound implications for hospitals. There is a proposal to transfer some patients to Inchicore. It is clear there will be fewer long-term beds available in the greater Dublin region. A large number of beds have been closed in hospitals across Dublin.

There are currently 471 people waiting on trolleys but if we continue the policy of closing beds under any guise, including the Minister's new format, there will be massive overcrowding in accident and emergency departments. Hospitals will not be able to function and will have to activate major overcrowding initiatives to deal with the stress caused in accident and emergency departments. This is part of a broader issue. The manner in which staff and patients were informed of the closure is not acceptable.

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