Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very happy to give that commitment. That step change is already under way. In the last year, there was a record increase in the number of hospital beds. Very shortly, we will have added approximately 1,000 hospital beds. To the Deputy's point, there are more than 500 Covid patients in hospital at the moment. We have added twice that number of beds in the last year. We are in the middle of the biggest increase in critical care capacity on record. This year and last year were the top two years with regard to increasing the workforce and the number of clinicians since the HSE was established. There is another question on critical care coming up very shortly and we can get into the detail at that time. I absolutely agree with what the Deputy is demanding. I am demanding exactly the same thing. We need an unprecedented and historic increase in capacity and we are in the middle of one. We need the same kind of targeted investment in cancer services. That is why the national cancer strategy was fully funded for the first time this year. It will get full funding again next year. Approximately one third of the €50 million for new drugs this year will be spent on cancer drugs. There is an awful lot of catching up to be done but we are moving and investing as quickly as capacity can be added.

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