Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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657. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the HSE has spent a large sum of money on a hospital (details supplied), only to increase patient numbers by approximately five patients, as a new ward is opening while one is being closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36070/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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There has been significant investment in Portiuncula University Hospital in recent years. A new ward block, a €35 million development, is part of a wider capital development scheme for the Hospital. This new ward block is to replace outdated wards which will result in an improved patient experience , reductions in length of stay, fewer in-house transfer of patients between wards and improved infection control.

The replacement wards each comprise of 25 single rooms with en-suite facilities.

Under the recently announced Acute Bed Expansion plan, the Government has committed to 501 new acute inpatient beds in the HSE West and North West region alone.

This ambitious plan will see 16 new beds delivered at Portiuncula over the course of the next four years and 10 of the new beds are opening in tandem with this 50 bed Ward block. These 10 beds will be enhanced by a further six new beds which will be provided between 2024 and 2028.