Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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120. To ask the Minister for Health when he plans to have the 446 ICU beds in place that he announced in December 2020. [50806/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Capacity Review, which was noted by Government in 2018, recommended that an additional 190 critical care beds should be in place by 2031, bringing the total to 430. Accordingly, the Strategic Plan for Critical Care, which was noted by Government in December 2020, aims to increase capacity from the 2020 baseline of 255 critical care beds, to 446 over time, to fully address the Capacity Review’s recommendations in regard to critical care.

Very significant funding of €52m was provided by Government in Budget 2021 to commence implementation of Phase 1 of the Plan. This provides for the permanent retention of 40 additional critical care beds which were funded temporarily in 2020 as part of the Covid response, and for the opening of a further 26 beds in new build capacity. The HSE has advised that 42 of these beds are now open, bringing baseline capacity to 297 although the number of beds open on any given day fluctuates as a result of a variety of factors.

An additional €10.5m is being provided in 2022. This will bring the number of permanent critical care beds from 255 in 2020 to 340 by the end of 2022/early 2023.  This represents a 33% increase, or an additional 85 beds funded since 2020.

Phase Two of the Plan will see a further 117 beds added through the development of new build capacity at five prioritised sites, subject to necessary approval processes.