Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government has committed an additional €40 million for the health service between now and the end of the year to help with winter pressures and the Health Service Executive is currently finalising those measures. Much of it includes extra transitional care beds and extra home care packages to help discharge patients from our hospitals. It is worth noting that whereas one patient on a trolley is one too many and the difficulties felt by people and described by the Deputy is not something any of us would stand over or accept, there are 1,300 fewer patients on hospital trolleys this November as compared with last November. Each and every day this month there have been fewer patients than on the corresponding day last month. It is important we acknowledge that out of respect for the front-line staff and the measures they are implementing.

Deputy Crowe is entirely correct on the matter of bed capacity and we do not have enough beds in the health service. I am due to receive a bed capacity review in the next couple of weeks and that will outline how many beds we need in the health service now and into the future. I will endeavour to progress that through our new capital plan.

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