Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

434. To ask the Minister for Health the exact location of the 1,000 beds being offered by an organisation (details supplied) to the HSE to alleviate overcrowding in winter 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36074/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the Winter Initiative funding has been provided for 167 approvals each week for patients to move to private nursing homes for transitional care for periods of 3-4 weeks on average.

I understand that the Health Service Executive & Nursing Homes Ireland are in on-going communication in relation to private nursing home bed availability. In the East Coast the HSE has developed a Bed Bureau, an IT based system, which allows for all private nursing homes to register vacancies and which in turn allows the hospital and community services to identify and provide information to patients and families on their choice of care if they require residential services. It must be borne in mind, however, that for various reasons, including the complexity of care required, the beds on offer in particular locations will not always be appropriate for the care needs of individual patients.

My Department has been advised by the HSE that it has not been provided with a breakdown of the beds referred to by the Deputy. Nursing Homes Ireland may be in a position to assist the Deputy in this regard.