asked the Minister for Health what is the present position relating to the proposal to build a new county hospital in Longford; whether the proposal has been abandoned, and, if so, what he proposes to do with the site; what is the cost of development and the purchase price of the site; and what revenue is received by the Longford County Council from letting of (a) the house and out-offices and (b) the land.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Longford County Hospital.
6.
The scheme to provide a new County Hospital at Longford is one of the projects included in the Hospitals Building Programme which were deferred some years ago due to the difficult position which arose in relation to the Hospitals Trust Fund. While income from sweepstakes source has improved considerably in the meantime, there has also been an appreciable increase in the revenue deficits of voluntary hospitals for which provision must be made. The result is that while the improved financial position has made it possible to allow the commencement of a number of urgent schemes which had been deferred, it has not been possible to allow a general resumption of hospital building activity. The position in regard to the remaining schemes has to be considered in the light of the magnitude of the grant expenditure involved—approximately £8 millions— the prospective income of the Fund in the years to come and the need to establish a reserve sufficient to ensure that any commitments that are undertaken can be honoured. While no decision has been taken to abandon any of the schemes that have been deferred it is not possible as yet to say when any of those projects will be allowed to proceed or whether they will be undertaken precisely on the lines originally intended. A further point to be considered is the order of priority in which the deferred schemes will be undertaken. As soon as a decision can be arrived at in regard to the Longford project I will get in touch with the local authority in connection with the matter.
The price of the site was £4,697 (including legal expenses). The cost of developing the site (including fees and miscellaneous expenses) was £8,045.
The main house and outoffices and portion of the site were sold by the Longford County Council some years ago for £2,600. A gate house at the back entrance has been demolished. The total amount received by the council from letting the houses and outoffices before they were disposed of was £1,054, while the total revenue received up to 31st March, 1960, from letting the lands amounted to £2,129. The revenue from the current letting of the unsold lands is £140 per annum.