Promises broken on beds - Kenny

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny renewed his attack on the Government's health record and claimed it had failed to honour its commitment to increasing the number of long-stay hospital beds.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern however, rejected the claim, saying the promised beds were being commissioned, but he warned that creating extra beds would not solve the problem of overcrowding in hospital accident and emergency departments.

He added that there were ongoing talks about reopening the controversial Leas Cross nursing home in north Dublin under different management and structures later this year.

In the wake of his visit on Tuesday to the A&E unit of Beaumont Hospital in north Dublin, Mr Kenny said there were 80-100 people in the hospital "who should be in long-stay beds elsewhere.

"The only commitment that has been broken has been by the Government."

Claiming that the solution was the creation of more long-stay beds, he said Mr Ahern had promised to provide 100 beds at St Joseph's hospital in Raheny and 200 beds in St Mary's in the Phoenix Park, but the number of beds was already down by 140.

"I see hotels being built on 24- hour shifts around the country, but regarding the most important buildings of all, hospitals, where people have no place at the inn, the Government has broken its commitments."

Mr Kenny added that a 78- year-old woman had been sitting on a hard chair for 24 hours. She was assessed as being too sick to go home, but there was no place available in the hospital.

"This problem will continue until you sort it out," Mr Kenny insisted.

Mr Ahern accepted there was a problem with step-down beds in north Dublin.

"Practically every night an average of 100 patients could be discharged but, because of their family circumstances, they are not."

The HSE was doing all it could to provide step-down beds everywhere. The beds in St Joseph's would be commissioned by the end of this year and the St Mary's development was under way.

He pointed out that the HSE was providing 360 beds through contracts with the private sector. Of these 220 are in the greater Dublin area, 100 in the south and 40 in the western region.

In relation to St Joseph's and St Mary's, he said: "I would love to be able to tell deputy Kenny that the completion of the two jobs will solve all the problems.

"The age profile of the people in question who lives in some of the most densely populated areas in the entire country is such that additional facilities are required.

"Although all the proposed developments will be completed this year, in addition to the developments of 2005 and 2006, four of the 52 hospitals will still face constant difficulties. Two of them are located in north Dublin."

He added: "There will be difficulties in some of the hospitals on some days, and there is no point running around to whichever hospital has a difficulty trying to highlight it."