Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to hear the Deputy raise that point. I often hear people in radio interviews, for example, referring to the need to open more beds. I am of the view that we need to open more beds. As the Deputy said, however, we cannot do so if we do not have adequate staffing levels. This is part of the very extensive engagement we have had with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, SIPTU and the Irish Nurses Organisation, INO, on a range of industrial relations issues in recent times. I am pleased that we have managed to progress with each of those. We had three threatened industrial relations disputes in the health service, one of which I am pleased to have brought to a resolution, another is in a process and the INMO is balloting its members on the other with a set of proposals it is encouraging members to accept. The bed capacity review will also inform the staffing needs for our health service. As Deputy Kelleher knows, we have had closed beds due to a lack of nurses so we must be truthful here, look at staffing levels and open those closed beds, which is what we have been doing in recent weeks. That is why we will hire 1,200 more nurses this year. We must also look at the staffing need for each additional bed. Work is ongoing in that regard.

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