Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 173: To ask the 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 previous statements on the lack of need for extra beds in the Health Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35441/06]

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 1,204 to a total of 13,349 (an additional 724 in-patient beds and 480 day places).

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.

The 2006 estimates for the Health Service Executive includes €60 million to open new facilities built under the National Development Plan. These new facilities include additional in-patient beds and day treatment places in acute hospitals. The HSE has indicated that when fully opened these new facilities will provide an additional 97 in-patient beds, 68 day treatment places and 7 intensive care / high dependency beds. A total of 172 treatment places in acute hospitals.

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.

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.

In view of the changes which have occurred since the publication of the Health Strategy the HSE is undertaking a further review of acute hospital bed capacity. The Review will:

identify acute bed capacity needs to the year 2020;

the number and type of acute beds that are required by HSE administrative area;

identify the capital and revenue implications; and

advise on how to meet the identified need.