asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the date of receipt in his Department of a letter from the South Cork Board of Public Assistance, requesting sanction for the increase of the bed complement in the Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranebraher, by some 20 beds, (b) the date on which the letter was replied to, (c) the date on which sanction was notified by his Department, and (d) the reason for the delay.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beds in Gurranebraher (Cork) Orthopaedic Hospital.
The original bed complement of this hospital was 133 beds. A proposal was received in the Department on 27th June, 1956, from the South Cork Board of Public Assistance that portion of a vacant ward block (No. 4) should be used as a 13-bed ward. I understand that on 27th July, 1956, the previous Minister for Health orally authorised the manager to equip the ward for 20 patients and to obtain the necessary equipment locally.
A letter was subsequently received in the Department on 30th August, 1956, to the effect that the board had decided to increase the bed complement of the hospital by 67 beds to 200 beds and in a letter dated 2nd October, 1956, the board requested formal sanction to this increase in accommodation (i.e. 47 beds for poliomyelitis patients and 20 others, including 13 in ward block No. 4). The board also applied for a grant from the Hospitals Trust Fund towards the cost of extra furniture and equipment, some of which had already been ordered. No reply issued at the time in response to this application, as it was necessary, in view of the stringent financial situation, to defer decisions on a number of projects for which grants had been sought.
It transpired subsequently that the bed complement at this hospital had in fact only been increased by 47 beds, from 133 beds to 180 beds. Accordingly, it was suggested in a letter from my Department dated 21st September, 1957, that the bed complement should be extended to 200 beds. On 23rd October, 1957, the Board of Assistance requested sanction to a proposal to increase the bed complement by an additional 20 beds to 200 beds. The proposal was regarded as already authorised by letters from the Department dated 21st September, 1957, and 23rd October, 1957.
In a letter dated 25th November, 1957, to the board my Department requested that all possible steps be taken to ensure that the additonal beds be brought into use at the earliest possible moment. It was also found possible to arrive at a decision on the question of grant and a further letter issued to the local authority on 25th November, 1957, indicating that, subject to certain conditions, a grant would be made available of 50 per cent. of the additional cost involved in purchasing the furniture and equipment required in connection with the raising of the bed complement to 200 beds.
Is the Minister aware that at that time there was a serious outbreak of polio in Cork City and County? Is he aware that three letters were written to his Department, one on 28th August, 1956, one on 2nd October, 1956, and one on 19th December, 1956, and that not one of these three letters was replied to until we got a letter from him on 23rd November, 1957? Does he consider that that is efficiency in his Department—three letters waiting for 14 months for a reply—particularly when one remembers that there was a severe polio outbreak which had to be dealt with immediately?
I do not consider it would be efficiency if the facts were as the Deputy has stated, but I am wondering why it was necessary to write three letters in order to secure a sanction which had already been given orally by my predecessor?
I am suggesting to the Minister that no sanction was given by anybody and that the three letters remained unreplied to. If he wants proof of that, he will get it in his own letter that he wrote on the 23rd November of this year.
Who wrote the letters to the Department?
The secretary of the board of assistance. In view of the unsatisfactory information given in reply to the question, I wish to raise this matter on the Adjournment. Let us have some other bosses anyway besides the civil servants.