Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and they cannot be turned back into acute beds. Of the 500 that could potentially be opened, more than half of that number are currently open and where possible, we will open some more. However, there are issues to do with decanting, with fire certificates, electrical issues and with staffing in some cases.

Beaumont hospital has had a problem with overcrowding for over ten years. I visited there in the past couple of weeks. I worked there for four months as a senior house officer, SHO. I met some of the staff who were working there when I worked there and they are still working there. Quite frankly, it is a very great tribute to them that they stick it. I understand their anger and their frustration. I never, ever said that nurses have to do more work so I do not know where that comment comes from. What I did say is that everyone has to be part of the solution, which is quite a different thing. Everyone needs to be part of the solution.

I do not think for one second that additional nursing staff or a change in contracts from temporary to permanent will in itself solve the problem. More nurses and more nurses on a different type of contract does not discharge anybody any quicker nor does it create a single bed. It may be part of the solution but it is probably a relatively small part of the solution.

In the case of Beaumont, the hospital currently has 100 delayed discharges and approximately 30 people on trolleys. In theory, if the delayed discharges were reduced from 100 to 50, there should be nobody on trolleys. However, I know full well that the way that hospital is currently managed and organised, this would not be the case. What would happen is that discharges would slow down and electives would be increased and we would still have people on trolleys in the emergency department, as has been the case every day, except Christmas week, for the past 15 years. There is a more fundamental problem in a number of our hospitals than merely money and staff, although I accept that money and staff may well be part of the solution.

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