David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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288. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to invest in additional public acute bed capacity in 2021 and 2022; the number of additional beds planned; the estimated cost of an acute care bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17882/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to continuing investment in our health care services in line with the recommendations of the Health Service Capacity Review and the commitments in Project Ireland 2040.

The Health Service Capacity Review 2018 found that the net requirement in combination with health system reform is for an additional 2,590 hospital beds by 2031 (inpatient, day case, critical care). The Review identified an immediate requirement for 1,290 beds to address overcrowding and to ensure hospitals operated at 85% occupancy in line with other OECD countries. Approximately 770 additional beds have been provided to date. The National Development Plan provides for the addition of the full 2,590 beds by 2027.

The future opening of additional acute bed capacity will be considered in the context of the Estimates discussions for the years concerned and on the priorities in the HSE's National Service Plans for those years.

In relation to the question of the estimated cost of an acute care bed, I have asked the HSE to provide a response to the Deputy directly.