Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a commitment in the programme for Government that in advance of, and in preparation for, the 2017 review of the capital plan, the Government would undertake a national hospital bed capacity review, recognising the need to increase the bed stock. That is from the programme for Government. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, ward watch figure for this week show a spike in trolley numbers for the second week in July. It shows an increase of 38% compared to the same week in 2015. The figure was reduced for the month of May by 14% and the month of June by 24%. However, last week's figure confirms that 1,839 patients admitted for care were on trolleys compared with 1,336 for the same period last year. Will the Taoiseach confirm that this bed capacity review has commenced, and if not, when it will commence?

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