Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Looking at community nursing units in the round and taking into account recent developments with the fair deal scheme as well as our ageing population, we can ill-afford to lose any bed. It is in that context that we must move forward. Clearly, there will be areas where safe environmental standards cannot be maintained, perhaps due to structural issues or a lack of resources such as staffing and expertise and that cannot be allowed to continue. In the round, however, as far as I am concerned, we can ill-afford to lose any bed in the context of our ageing population.