Written answers

Thursday, 9 September 2021

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1424. To ask the Minister for Health the number of intensive care beds that have been provided since he announced the expansion of critical care capacity to 446 beds in December 2020; the locations in which these beds have been provided; the timescale for providing the outstanding beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42977/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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At the start of last year, permanent adult critical care capacity in Ireland stood at 255 beds, according to the National Office of Clinical Audit. Funding for a further 40 adult critical care beds was provided on a temporary basis in March 2020 as part of the response to Covid-19 in March 2020.

A Strategic Plan for Critical Care was noted by Government in December 2020. This Plan aims to increase capacity to 321 by end-2021 and to 446 in the longer term. Funding of €52m provided for 2021 will see the 40 beds provided in 2020 retained permanently and a further 26 added, to bring permanent baseline capacity to 321 by the end of 2021. The HSE has advised that 41 of these 66 beds are now in place, with the number open on any particular day fluctuating as a result of a variety of factors.

Regarding the locations of these beds, as this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.

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