Sir, – Covid case figures are back in the headlines, and we are yet again being told what is and what is not responsible behaviour by the representatives of the State.
According to the HSE’s own National Adult Critical Care Capacity census, there was a baseline capacity of 280 ICU beds as of September 30th, 2020. The Irish Times reports there were 297 functioning ICU beds as of November 9th, 2021.
The budget allocation for the Department of Health in 2021 was €22.1 billion, up by more than €4.5 billion from the pre-Covid year of 2019.
These figures suggest that with this time and money the Government has achieved an actual increase of just 6 per cent in what we have been told repeatedly is a crucial metric in the healthcare system.
Is that responsible behaviour? It does not look like it to me. – Yours, etc,
CHARLIE CREGAN,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.