Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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58. To ask the Minister for Health the degree to which the bed and staff complement throughout the public health sector remains adequate to meet the demand with particular reference to all regions throughout the country without exception; the actions he plans to take in the event of a deficiency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48177/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Work on the Health Service Capacity Review is continuing to progress. As I have previously stated, the Review will have a wider scope than previous exercises and will examine key elements of primary and community care infrastructure in addition to hospital facilities. A Steering Group is overseeing the project, with support from external consultants commissioned to provide technical, analytical and engagement expertise. An independent international peer review group is involved in ongoing review and validation of the methodology and approach. My Department has also undertaken a public consultation process to ensure that stakeholder views are fed into the process.

The findings from the Review will provide a basis for determining both the extent of capacity requirements over the next 15 years and the type of capacity that is needed at a national and regional level. The emerging findings from the review will inform the development of a new 10 year national capital plan later this year. I expect to receive the final report of the Capacity Review by the end of the year.

In terms of staffing, in line with our Statement of Strategy 2016-2019, my Department has developed a National Strategic Framework for Health and Social Care Workforce Planning in collaboration with a Cross-Sectoral Steering Group. The Framework, which I have launched this week, will support the recruitment and retention of the right mix of health workers across the health system to meet planned and projected service need.

Implementing the framework will be a multi-annual undertaking. The first action plan is for an 18-month period and focuses on the early actions needed to build health workforce planning capacity in the health sector.