Some €65 million capital and revenue funding has been provided in 2002 to put an additional 709 acute beds in place to meet the first phase of a programme to provide a total of 3,000 new acute beds over the next ten years. The Department has been informed by the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards that, to date, 258 of these beds have been commissioned under this initiative. It is expected that in excess of 600 beds will be in use by year end and that the remainder of the 709 beds will be commissioned early in the new year.