Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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827. To ask the Minister for Health further to the release of confirmed Covid-19 cases by electoral division up to 12 June 2020, when he will release updated data by electoral division on the number of Covid-19 cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14355/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The COVID-19 data hub features national statistics, information and data about COVID-19 in Ireland including electoral division data and is available at . The data available on the site is based on official figures provided by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and the Health Service Executive (HSE). This site is built using the GeoHive platform, Ireland's Geospatial Data Hub.

All datasets, charts and maps are updated on an on-going basis and in line with newly published data. Data in relation to COVID-19 confirmed cases at electoral division level are updated on a regular basis. However, the Deputy should note that when the rates of confirmed cases are as low as they have been in the last number of weeks, care is required to ensure patient confidentiality is preserved and that no potential identification of individual patients arises. In these circumstances, the data relating to confirmed cases by electoral division is not updated on as frequent a basis as the other data on the Data Hub. The Deputy may wish to note that a range of other data is provided by the CSO including alternative information relating to electoral divisions. This is available on the CSO Covid-19 Information Hub at and, in particular, at /

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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828. To ask the Minister for Health the number of procedures, treatments and surgeries carried out under the Covid-19 private hospital deal by hospital in tabular form. [14357/20]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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829. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the average bed occupancy of hospitals over the course of the Covid-19 private hospital deal by hospital in tabular form. [14358/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 828 and 829 together.

A major part of the Government's Action Plan in response to Covid-19 was to substantially increase the capacity of public healthcare facilities to cope with the anticipated additional demand. In order to urgently ramp up capacity for acute care facilities, an arrangement was agreed with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system on a temporary basis, to provide essential services. A Heads of Terms of Agreement between the HSE and the Private Hospitals was agreed at the end of March 2020 and all 18 of the acute private hospitals signed up to it. Under the arrangement, all patients in the private hospitals are treated as public patients and their treatment is prioritised based on clinical need.

The agreement was reviewed at the end of May and the Government decided that the existing arrangement should not be extended beyond the end of June. It has however mandated the HSE to negotiate a new arrangement with private hospitals which would provide the HSE with full access to private hospital capacity in the event of a surge of Covid-19 and separately with ongoing agreed access, to enable the HSE to meet essential and elective care needs.

My Department has been advised by the HSE that as of June 29, 12,301 patients had been discharged from private hospitals having undergone an inpatient procedure since the arrangement between the HSE and private hospitals came into force. In the same period 51,194 daycase procedures took place in private hospitals, as well as 80,644 diagnostic appointments and 49,3337 outpatient appointments. Utilisation rates show that as of June 29 2020, 49% of private inpatient beds were in use, up from 43% at the start of May

In relation to the data requested regarding the breakdown of the average bed occupancy of hospitals over the course of the Covid-19 private hospital deal by hospital, and the breakdown of activity by private hospital, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.