Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 6: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the plans there are to increase the capacity of the National Rehabilitation Hospital or to provide such a service elsewhere; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2713/08]

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire is a 120-bed hospital which provides treatment and rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord injuries, head injuries, amputation, traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury, strokes, neurological disorders, children's disabilities and spina bifida. It also provides wheelchair and mobility aids assessment, pre-vocational and vocational training programmes involving a wide range of social, personal and work-related skills with a view to enhancing opportunities for each individual for further training, employment and educational options. There is also a 12-bed hostel to enable clients from outside the greater Dublin area to access day services in the hospital and the vocational training unit.

A new hospital is in the planning stages and once built will provide additional capacity at the hospital. This project would increase the bed capacity of the National Rehabilitation Hospital to 235 beds. I understand that a project team is working with an appointed design team to develop the brief for the new hospital and plan for the development.

The Health Service Executive has also informed the Department that a project team has just completed a needs assessment on the development of an acute medical rehabilitation unit of 25 beds which is recommended to be built at Beaumont Hospital. This unit would provide acute medical rehabilitation services and early rehabilitation for those suffering from brain injury who access the national neurosciences unit at Beaumont and who currently have to access services at the National Rehabilitation Hospital.

Plans had been prepared in some areas for regional rehabilitation facilities. The Department and the Health Service Executive are aware of the need to review the potential benefits of a regional network of rehabilitation facilities and services. The development of such a network should be considered in the context of a national strategy for rehabilitation services and the Department is currently considering this issue.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Does the Minister agree that it is hugely distressing for families to know that immediate rehabilitation care is crucial for those who suffer brain injury, stroke or any other condition that results in people attending the National Rehabilitation Hospital? Getting in quickly for treatment is crucial. I welcome the fact that a new unit is planned, which will increase the number of beds from 120 to 235. What is the timeframe for providing those extra beds? Are there any plans for Cork? There has been some confusion as to whether a unit is planned for Cork so perhaps the Minister will clarify the situation. Will he also clarify if an acute stroke unit or one of the acute regional units he mentioned is planned for Cork? There is serious concern in the south of the country that the beds currently available are all located in Dublin. It appears the new beds will also be in the Dublin area. What are the plans for the south of the country? Will the Minister also elaborate on the plans for regional units? I stress again how crucial it is for the projected recovery of these patients to get into hospital and receive treatment at an early stage. When will extra beds and facilities be provided?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is currently considering the development of a formal policy on rehabilitation. A number of issues must be considered, including a needs assessment on a population health basis, the structure of the service provision, the location of the facilities and the nature of the facilities, that is, whether they are hospital, step-down or preparation for independent living. In other words, they would range from acute care to the stage just before going home. The need for the rehabilitation strategy has been brought to the fore for a number of reasons, including population growth and increased trauma survival, especially in cases of stroke and road traffic accidents. The national policy will inform the framework of rehabilitation services which the HSE, as the agency responsible for providing and contracting services, will have to develop.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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What happened to the plans for a rehabilitation centre for Cork? Plans were drawn up. Why did it not go ahead? What is happening to the thousands of people in this country who suffer stroke or acquire a brain injury and end up in nursing homes? Does the Minister not agree that what is provided in Dún Laoghaire at present is inadequate from the point of view of capacity? Will the Minister state how Ireland compares to the rest of Europe, the United States and other countries in this area? It is true that Ireland is not at the races and that it is a disgrace compared to Europe?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I reject the last allegation. We are at the races——

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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You are in cloud cuckoo land.

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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——and the service provided by the National Rehabilitation Hospital is of the highest quality.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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What about the capacity?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Perhaps the Deputy would give me an opportunity to reply. With regard to location, there are a number of places in addition to Cork that are considering providing some sort of rehabilitation, be it——

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Some sort?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy should listen. It could be an acute, semi-acute or step-down service. There are various types of rehabilitation. On that basis, we are examining the development of a formal policy in the Department.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for making arrangements before Christmas for some patients to be transferred from the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire, thus releasing badly needed beds. There is more capacity in new facilities. Does the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, not accept that the outcome for victims of stroke is far superior from dedicated stroke units than from some type of rehabilitation?

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister accept that part of the capacity problem arises as a result of HSE cutbacks? Many patients in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire cannot be discharged because no home care packages are in place. Those patients, therefore, are occupying urgently needed beds. When will the cutbacks stop? When will these crucial hospital beds be released by putting in place care in the community?

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I agree it is important that acute beds are released for acute cases. As Deputy Reilly mentioned, before Christmas provision was made to allow patients to be discharged from the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I agree that stroke units have a better outcome in the immediate situation. Obviously, rehabilitation is a different and complex area and, as such, the development of rehabilitative beds, be they acute, semi-acute or step-down, is a vital component of our infrastructure.