Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not in a position to reveal the figure for the winter initiative today but I will be shortly. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform have made clear in this House that we will present our health Estimate, as well as all other Estimates for departmental Votes, in the next fortnight.

I hope I will be able to provide clarity to Deputy O'Reilly in this regard at that stage. I hope the decision to commence the winter initiative now, at the end of May or start of June, is seen as a signal of my intention and that of the HSE to try to prepare for this in advance and to look at next year as well. As this is a crisis that happens year on year, we need to plan ahead for it.

The Deputy spoke about the closed beds figure and asked where the 65 beds went. As I outlined in my initial response, there have been staff recruitment difficulties in some hospitals and some areas. One cannot open beds without staff. However, some 366 new or reopened beds that were not available in the system are now available in the system. The bed capacity review has to be different this time. I have no interest in carrying out a bed capacity review for acute hospitals only. We cannot keep seeing the acute hospital as the beginning and the end of every conversation. We must look at capacity in the community as well. I refer to nursing homes, long-term stay beds and community hospitals. The bed capacity review must look at the whole continuum of care and beds. I will come back to the Deputy with details of the timeframe. I would like it to take place as quickly as possible, particularly because I am conscious of the review of capital plans that is due to take place next year. I need to know the data so I can deliver in that regard. On the question of how I will have funding to deliver all of these things, the Estimates will be in the House in the next fortnight, as I have said.

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