Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue on which I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly.

Connolly Hospital is an academic teaching hospital which provides a full range of acute services, including a 24 hour accident and emergency department. It serves a catchment population of 331,000. Multidisciplinary teams of medical, nursing and allied health professionals, as well as management and general support staff, play a pivotal role in the development, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of these services.

The efficiency of all services is being reviewed by the HSE in view of the current budgetary and financial position. The Minister for Health has emphasised to the HSE that budgetary compliance must be maintained with the delivery of service levels set out in the national service plan. Activity and expenditure at Connolly hospital are ahead of the levels approved in the 2011 national service plan. A comprehensive review of services at the hospital has been undertaken by the HSE and hospital management, and certain measures have been taken as a consequence of this review. These include a reduction in the use of agency staff and overtime hours and some limited bed closures. The latter measures include the temporary closure in the latter quarter of the year, for two short periods, of the surgical day ward. There will also be a limited reduction from 24 to eight places in the surgical day ward from early November. In addition, there are currently 24 acute inpatient beds closed in Connolly Hospital, although it is planned to open these beds where feasible to relieve specific pressures during peak times over the winter period. Two of the 11 critical care beds at the hospital are also closed but are being utilised when they are clinically required.

Deputy Nulty, being a new Member, might not know this but usually the ministerial reply on a topical issue debate is circulated when the Minister stands to speak. The copies of my reply have not yet arrived but the Deputy will receive one.

I congratulate the Deputy on his recent victory in the election.

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