Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We need to know who will conduct the review. I welcome the Minister's statement that it will encompass all beds because there is a serious need for that to be examined. The Minister may already be aware that according to the OECD, the number of beds we have per 1,000 people is below the EU average. We already have a deficit. I am disappointed that the figure for the winter initiative, which the Minister is right to start early, is not being shared with us. As the winter approaches, the pressure on our accident and emergency departments will increase. It used to get particularly bad when there were spikes, but now a level of difficulty is being maintained. I am familiar with this from my previous job. When one talks to the staff one is told that there used to be quieter times, but there are no lulls anymore. The sooner the bed capacity review is undertaken the better, because I believe this will result in all the beds that have been identified being opened. According to our figures, we are still 65 beds short, notwithstanding the other beds.

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