Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to increase the number of dedicated public only hospital beds by 1,500; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18320/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In 2001 the average number of in-patient beds and day places available in the 53 public acute hospitals was 12,145, based on returns to the Department (11,374 in-patient beds and 771 day places). The provisional number of acute hospital beds recorded by the Health Service Executive for 2006 was 13,771(12,574 in-patient beds and 1,197 day places) based on a total bed complement.

This represents an increase of over 1,600, an average of some 325 new bed and day places per year, a very high level of annual increase by historic standards. The figures indicate the number of in-patient beds alone has increased by 1,200, an average of 240 per year over five years.

The Government in 2001 made a commitment, in the context of the Health Strategy Quality and Fairness, to increase public acute hospital bed numbers by 3,000 over ten years. This commitment included both acute in-patient beds and day places. With current plans and developments since 2001, it is substantially on target to be met.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to provide an additional 1,500 public acute hospital beds. About 1,000 of these will be provided through the co-location initiative and the balance through the HSE's capital plan. The co-location initiative aims to make available additional acute beds for public patients through the transfer of private activity from public hospitals to co-located private hospitals.

The Board of the HSE has approved successful bidder status for the development of co-located hospitals at the following six hospitals:

Waterford Regional Hospital;

Cork University Hospital;

Limerick Regional Hospital;

Sligo Regional Hospital;

Beaumont Hospital;

St James's Hospital.

The Project Agreements for Beaumont, Cork and Limerick Hospitals have recently been signed.

It is expected that the signing of the Project Agreements for the other three sites (Waterford, Sligo and St. James's ) will be concluded shortly.

Connolly Hospital and Tallaght Hospital, which are also participating in the co-location initiative, are at an earlier stage of the procurement process. A tender in relation to Connolly Hospital is under consideration and it is expected that the invitation to tender (ITT) for Tallaght Hospital will issue in the near future.

My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the HSE to provide detailed information to the Deputy regarding the provision of the additional acute beds under the Executive's capital plan.