Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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347. To ask the Minister for Health the current inpatient bed capacity across Cork University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital and Mallow General Hospital, as of September 2025; the way in which this compares with her Department's population-based target; and the plans in place to expand capacity, including staff recruitment before winter 2025-26. [49413/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Acute Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan 2024 – 2031 aims to deliver an additional 3,438 acute inpatient beds nationally including an additional 341 beds for CUH, 82 beds for Mercy University Hospital and 24 for Mallow General Hospital.

Under the Health Regions Implementation Plan, Health Regions are taking a population-based approach to how services are planned, funded and delivered. The Department are developing a Population-Based Resource Allocation (PBRA) model with the aim of fairly and equitably distribute available healthcare funding to the health regions on the basis of population health need and the cost of providing services to meet those needs.

To complement this work the Health Service Capacity Review being carried out by the DoH and ESRI is a more detailed analysis of the capacity requirements for the health system over the next 15 years. The PBRA model and the Capacity Review are complementary tools for health system planning and funding as both make use of the ESRI’s population projections, ensuring that decisions on resource allocation and long-term planning are aligned.

As the planning and delivery of beds is a matter for the HSE, I have asked the HSE to provide additional information to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.