Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would be delighted to do so, and I thank the Deputy for asking the question and giving me the opportunity. The new beds plan, as the Deputy will be aware, is for 3,500 beds, which is on top of the 1,200 that have already been delivered. It is a game-changer. Between those that have been delivered and those that are coming, there are nearly 5,000 beds. Critically, to the core of Deputy Wynne’s question, not only is it a really important increase in the bed capacity, it is also regionally balanced for the first time in a very long time. It was something I insisted on as part of this plan. As we all know, of all the various regions, the mid-west had the lowest number of hospital beds per head of population. This plan will bring it up to having the second-highest number of beds. I am genuinely happy to be able to say that there will be a nearly 80% increase in the number of hospital beds in the mid-west under this plan. I do not know the last time anything like that happened but I imagine we would have to go back a very long time. I hope the people of the mid-west see very clearly that this is the strongest statement of intent you could have from a Government regarding the future of healthcare, proper services, community-based services, hospital services, ED departments that work for people and all the things we need in our service.

Specifically regarding Ennis Hospital, the increase is even bigger. We are nearly doubling the number of beds in Ennis Hospital. We are adding 48 new beds. There are 50 beds there now, so it is a 96% increase. We are basically doubling it. In terms of the experience for the patient, it is way beyond that. There are 50 beds there now, some of which are in the nightingale shared wards. The 48 beds being provided are state-of-the-art, single-room, en suite beds. We are therefore essentially doubling the bed capacity in Ennis Hospital on top of the investment we put in over the past few years.

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