Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Health the number of additional acute hospital beds that have become available in 2015; and the full-year cost of providing these. [41857/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Additional funding of €117m has been provided in 2015 to relieve pressures on acute hospitals. This includes €18 million to support the acute hospital system over the winter period by providing additional bed capacity and other initiatives to support access to care. In preparation for the 2015/16 winter period, a total of 129 hospital beds which had been closed for refurbishment or for infection control purposes during 2015 are to be re-opened by the end of November. A further 301 beds are being added to support the acute hospital system over the winter period across various locations. The opening of additional capacity is contingent on staff recruitment and, at some sites, the completion of minor building works within very stringent timeframes.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.