Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 332: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of day hospital beds in 2001 in relation to the Government's commitment to older people, stated in the National Health Strategy, to deliver 600 day hospital beds; the number of day hospitals beds that have been delivered in each of the years since 2001; the location of these beds; the status of remaining beds to be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14266/07]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of assessment and rehabilitation beds in 2001 in relation to the Government's commitment to older people, stated in the National Health Strategy, to deliver 1,370 assessment and rehabilitation beds; the number of assessment and rehabilitation beds that have been delivered in each of the years since 2001; the location of these beds; the status of remaining beds to be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14267/07]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of day places in 2001 in relation to the Government's commitment to older people, stated in the National Health Strategy, to deliver 7,000 day centre places; the number of day places that have been delivered in each of the years since 2001; the location of these places; the status of remaining beds to be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14268/07]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 335: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of community nursing unit beds in 2001 in relation to the Government's commitment to older people, stated in the National Health Strategy 2001, to deliver 5,600 community nursing unit beds; the number of community nursing unit beds delivered in each of the years since 2001; the location of these beds; the status of remaining beds to be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14269/07]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 to 335, inclusive, together.

The National Health Strategy 'Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You' was published in 2001. There have been many reforms to our health services since the publication of the Strategy, the most notable being the enactment of the Health Act 2004 which transferred responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services to the Health Service Executive.

In 2001, there were 9,218 beds in public nursing homes, of which 8,671 were long-stay, and 12,731 voluntary and private nursing home beds, of which 12,483 were long-stay. In 2007, there are a total of 9,488 beds in public nursing homes including Welfare Homes of which about 8,250 are long-stay beds. In addition, there are an estimated 16,000 voluntary and private long stay beds. The overall increase has been close to 3,500 in the period 2001-2007. The reduction in public long stay beds is accountable by improvements made to some public homes to improve the environment so as to meet with increased standards and client centred care responses.

As part of the overall investment package for the development of services for older people, the DOHC and the HSE have prioritised the delivery of additional public continuing care beds through the development of community nursing units in large urban centres in both Dublin and Cork together with the expansion and the development of additional facilities across all regions. The HSE proposes to expand public capacity by 446 beds in 2007 and by 414 in 2008. The running costs in full year of this additional public capacity will be €42m.

In 2006, the HSE contracted a total of 1,050 extra beds in the private nursing home sector. A total of €28m is being allocated to cover the full year cost in 2007 of these beds. In addition, the HSE is planning to contract a further 350 beds in 2007 at a cost of €12m. 220 of these will be procured in the Greater Dublin area and 100 will be procured in HSE South.

Prior to 2006 there were no appropriate structures in place for the compilation of statistics in relation to day centre places. However these reporting structures are now in place and a 2006 baseline has been established. Over the past two years significant additional funding has been in the provision of such places and this policy will continue in to the future. Along with the creation of these new places it is also planned to extend opening hours to evenings and weekends in some day care centres.

In 2006, 1,325 additional places per week were provided which brought the total to 21,000. In 2007, 1,100 additional places per week are projected which will bring the total to 22,100

The Executive has advised my Department that they are currently collating information in respect of the number of funded day hospitals places and the number of funded assessment/ rehab places specifically for older persons. The Executive will forward this information to the Deputy directly.