Vol. 542 No. 6
191 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health and Children if funding is available from his Department to the Eastern Regional Health Authority to provide a new health centre adequate to meet the needs of the Cabra and Navan Road area of Dublin 7. [25486/01]
The provision of health centres to meet the needs of local communities within its functional area is a matter for each health board, including the Eastern Regional Health Authority. In the case of the Cabra and Navan Road area of Dublin, this responsibility rests with the Eastern Regional Health Authority.
As with each of the other boards, the Eastern Regional Health Authority has been notified of the annual indicative funding available under the National Development Plan for the period 2001 to 2006 to facilitate the financing of capital projects, including health centres. The identification and prioritisation of projects which may proceed within the indicative funding is a matter for the authority.
The authority has advised me that it is planned that a new primary care unit will be built on the North Circular Road which will also serve the Cabra area and will, therefore, eliminate the need for a health centre in Cabra. The authority has indicated that it will be a few years before this can be realised. In the meantime the authority has indicated that it is hoped that the most necessary upgrading and refurbishment work on the Cabra health centre can be carried out relatively quickly.
