Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date in providing step down beds in the Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29566/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date in providing the 3,000 beds promised in the Government's health strategy. [29565/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In 2001, the year of the publication of Health Strategy, the average number of in-patient beds and day places available for treatment of patients in the 53 public acute hospitals was 12,145. At the end of 2005, this figure had increased by 1204 to a total of 13,349, involving an additional 724 in-patient beds and 480 day places.

In addition, a further 450 acute beds/day places are in various stages of planning and development under the Health Service Executive's Capital Plans.

In July 2005, I announced an initiative to have private hospitals built on the campuses of public hospitals. This is designed to enable up to 1,000 beds in public hospitals, which are currently used by private patients, to be re-designated for use by public patients. The HSE is currently engaged in a procurement process with the private sector to build and operate private hospitals on 10 public hospital sites.

All of these additional in-patient beds/day places will mean that this Government's commitment in the Health Strategy to increase total acute hospital capacity is well on the way to completion.