Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Health if he or his officials discussed the bed capacity review with the Minister for Finance or his officials in advance of budget 2018; the stage at which the bed capacity review was in October 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2306/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Capacity Review is examining health service capacity across all key areas of primary care, acute care and services for older people.

My Department had direct engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the terms of reference for the Review early last year. The emerging findings from the process have also been the subject of broader discussions with that Department in relation to health reform and future capital investment in the context of the mid-term review of both the current capital plan and the forthcoming ten year National Development Plan.

By October 2017, significant progress had been made on data collection, data analysis, and the development of baseline projections. A public stakeholder consultation process and detailed engagement with health system experts had been carried out and the International Peer Review Group had substantively validated the Review's approach and methodology. Sufficient progress had also been made on modelling the impact of potential policy and productivity changes over the projection period.

Work on the Health Service Capacity Review is now at an advanced stage. This Review will provide a basis for determining both the extent of capacity requirements over the next 15 years and the type of capacity needed. The findings will inform the development of a new 10 year national development plan.

I expect to receive the final report very shortly and I intend to bring the report to Government and have it published as soon as possible thereafter.