Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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217. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 16 October 2018, the number of additional acute beds that will be provided by the additional funding of €10 million in 2019. [43999/18]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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218. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 16 October 2018, the hospitals in which the 600 acute beds to be phased in by the end of 2020 will be located in tabular form. [44000/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together.

As outlined in my response to the Deputy on 16 October 2018, €10 million in funding is being made available in 2019 to increase acute bed capacity in line with the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review. Increasing capacity is a priority for this Government.

Over the past 12 months, an additional 240 beds have been opened and a further 79 additional beds are planned for quarter 4 2018 and early 2019.

My Department is currently in discussions with the HSE, in the context of the National Service Plan 2019, to identify the sites for investment and the associated number of beds, as part of an agreed capacity programme for 2019.

The selection and opening of beds on specific sites in 2019 and future years will be considered as part of the annual estimates and service planning process, and subject to financial, operational, human resource and policy considerations and priorities.