Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans for the provision of adequate surgical and medical beds in the future with particular reference to increased requirements during the winter months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35453/05]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 128: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of the 3,000 promised beds which have been delivered; the time line for the delivery of beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35446/05]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 165: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position in view of the Government's stated commitment to providing an extra 3,000 beds and of Professor Drumm's statements on the lack of need for extra beds in the health service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35457/05]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 168: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the progress to date on the 1,000 bed plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35389/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 128, 165 and 168 together.

The Health Service Executive, HSE, is advancing the implementation of a series of measures to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services. These measures take a wide-ranging approach and are aimed at improving access to accident and emergency services, improving patient flows through accident and emergency departments, freeing up acute beds and providing appropriate longer-term care for patients outside of the acute hospital setting.

A particular focus has been placed on those patients in acute hospitals who have completed their acute phase of treatment and are ready for discharge to a more appropriate setting. The HSE is making sustained efforts to arrange for the discharge of these patients in order to have more acute beds available in hospital for emergency patients.

New and extended units have been funded through the ten point accident and emergency plan. The following initiatives have been taken with regard to care of the elderly: 48 high dependency beds have been contracted in private nursing homes for those patients with more demanding care needs; 427 patients have been discharged through 100 intermediate care beds for six to eight weeks stays since contracts with private providers commenced in May; 70 long-term patients in St. Mary's, Phoenix Park, have been transferred to private nursing homes. The beds freed up has allowed for the discharge from the Mater Hospital and Beaumont Hospital of 35 high dependency patients each; 45 public long stay beds in nursing facilities on the southside of Dublin have re-opened; additional home care packages and enhanced subventions have facilitated the discharge of 429 patients in the Dublin area.

An Agreed Programme for Government includes a commitment to expand public hospital beds in line with the health strategy commitment to increase total acute hospital bed capacity by 3,000 by 2011. Substantial investment in additional bed capacity in acute hospitals has already taken place. Funding has been provided to open an additional 900 inpatient beds-day places in public acute hospitals throughout the country. The HSE has informed my Department that as of 14 October 2005, 806 of these beds-day places were in place and the remaining 94 beds-day places will come on stream over the coming months.

In addition, a further 450 acute bed-day places are in various stages of planning and development under the capital investment framework 2005-09. The recently published Estimates include €60 million to open new acute hospital facilities some of which will provide additional beds. I announced in July this year an initiative which will provide up to 1,000 additional beds for public patients in public hospitals over the next five years. These additional beds-day places will go most of the way to achieving our commitment in the programme for Government to increase total acute hospital capacity.