Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I am sure the Taoiseach and Minister for Health have contended, since 2017 a further 267 beds have been opened in our hospitals to respond to the type of issues the patients, nurses and doctors are dealing with at present. The HSE capital plan, published a number of weeks ago by the Minister for Health, the Taoiseach and I, outlined the plans now funded to increase the number of beds in the health service to just above 11,000. It is good to hear that at least one of the projects to which Deputy O'Loughlin referred is included in the capital plan.

We have put funding in place to increase the number of hospital beds. We have recently made changes to how we pay nurses to ensure we will have staff in place and more beds to deliver better care for patients. I take on board the points the Deputies have made about the need for this work to be commenced and done quickly. I am sure the HSE and the Department of Health will ensure the additional funding I have made available to them is spent quickly.

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