Vol. 565 No. 4
135 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if the hospice unit in the Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar has been re-opened; if not, when will it be re-opened; the reason for the delay in this regard; and the response in relation to the advertisement placed in the papers last year for personnel. [11281/03]
136 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if the hospice unit at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar, County Mayo is open on a full-time basis; and the number of nursing staff which are assigned to it. [11282/03]
137 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children when the hospice unit of the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar, County Mayo first opened; and the number of beds in the hospital. [11283/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 136 and 137 together.
The provision of health services in County Mayo is a matter for the Western Health Board.
My Department has made inquiries of the board in relation to the hospice unit at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar. The board has advised that the hospice unit, which has a bed complement of two beds, was officially opened on 23 January 1999. Part-time medical cover was provided locally at the time of the opening of the unit and it was subsequently decided that it was not possible to provide the required level of service at the unit without 24 hour medical cover. The board has advised that the unit remains closed because of difficulties in recruiting a medical officer and that this position has been advertised on two occasions, the most recent being in December 2002, but there have been no applications for this post to date.
