Vol. 555 No. 5
274 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, 2001, and the criticism of the inspector whereby the new acute in-patient unit at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, was not made available to the psychiatric unit, in view of the fact that it was planned, designed and funded specifically as a psychiatric unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18848/02]
At the time of the visit of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals to the Carlow-Kilkenny mental health service in 2001, consideration was being given by the South Eastern Health Board to the use, on a temporary basis, of the new psychiatric in-patient unit at St. Luke's Hospital for medical, surgical, obstetric and neonatal facilities.
The new building has been undergoing contract and commissioning works and it is the board's intention to have the unit fully operational as an acute psychiatric in-patient facility by the end of this year. At no stage has the new unit been used for any other purpose.
