Significant progress has been achieved in providing capital funding for the health sector since 1997. Total expenditure for the years 1997 to 2002 was approximately €1.7 billion. This has made considerable inroads into addressing the historical infrastructure deficits that have existed for so long and prevented the establishment of standards of facilities required for modern patient care. Major projects have been completed during this period, across all health care programmes. These cover projects across the State and include, for example, in the acute hospital area, projects in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital Limerick, University College Hospital Galway, Tallaght Hospital, St. James's, Cork University Hospital, Portiuncula Hospital, Mayo General Hospital, as well as over 500 beds under the bed capacity initiative. In addition, a range of important projects – including new community nursing units, child care units, etc. – was also completed in the non-acute hospitals sector.