The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, denied misleading the Dáil on the Government's provision of inpatient beds.
The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said that only 299 beds had been provided and not 900, as Mr Ahern had told him in the House last week. A further 284 existed in the form of couches, chairs and reclining beds. "Will the Taoiseach take the opportunity to correct the record and tender appropriate regrets for misleading the House?"
Mr Ahern replied: "I refer back to what I stated. I saw what the newspapers reported on the issue. I said that bed capacity funding was in place for an additional 900 acute beds. I was told afterwards that 600 of these beds are now in use and 300 will come on stream in the coming months, mainly in the first half of 2005.
"I do not have any precise information as to where those beds are located.However, they were the figures I gave. There is funding for 900 beds. As Deputy Rabbitte will appreciate, I tend to look at what we have funded and what we are doing rather than check whether they are all in place. Once we provide the funding, I accept it takes a period to roll them out." Mr Ahern added that the commitment in the health strategy was for the provision of 3,000 beds by 2011.
Mr Rabbitte remarked: "I am trying to work out the mathematics of this extraordinary situation. Apart from discussing when a bed is not a bed, would the Taoiseach like to elaborate on that matter? He gave the wrong information to the House. There are only 299 inpatient beds." Mr Ahern replied: "On the figure, the information I had last week, and the information I have this week, is precisely the same. They are talking about the issue of bed capacity as against the figure in the health strategy, which was 3,000 by 2011. They are referring to 900 additional beds.
"I do not think they are talking about wheelchairs or trolleys. The Government has approved funding for 900 additional beds." He assured Mr Rabbitte that the 900 beds would be "in place" by the middle of next year.
