David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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300. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to further increase hospital step-down capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17894/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recognises that our ageing population will require the delivery of significant additional long-stay and step-down facilities. A comprehensive programme of investment in public nursing homes over the period 2016-2021 is well underway. The programme is aimed at maintaining the existing level of public bed provision and will also provide some additional capacity.

The National Development Plan provides capital funding over the next ten years for additional capacity requirements including 4,500 additional short-term and long-term beds across the public system in Community Nursing Units and other step-down facilities, as identified by the Health Service Capacity Review (2018).