Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 166: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of accident and emergency beds available to the HSE in hospitals throughout the State; and the number of patients presenting to accident and emergency annually for the past five years. [14106/05]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 176: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of new acute hospital beds which have come on stream; the number of existing beds which have been freed up as a result of her ten point plan to address the accident and emergency crisis; the location of these beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14242/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 176 together.

The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver or arrange to be delivered on its behalf health and personal social services. Accordingly, my Department has requested the interim chief executive of the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputies directly regarding the number of accident and emergency beds available to the Health Service Executive and the number of beds which will be freed up through the implementation of the ten point plan.

Since 2001, funding has been provided to open an additional 900 inpatient beds and day places in acute hospitals throughout the country. Health agencies have informed the Department that at the end of March 2005, 713 of these beds were in place. The Health Service Executive has informed my Department that the remaining beds will come on stream before the end of 2005. The following table shows the number of accident and emergency attendances for the past five years.