asked the Minister for Health if he will appoint a consultative council or a suitable committee to examine as a matter of urgency the accommodation provided at all hospitals for nurses and non-nursing personnel and to report at an early date on the new accommodation and equipment required to provide reasonable standards for such personnel.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Staffs Accommodation.
19.
I do not accept that a consultative council or other committee is needed to examine the question of accommodation for hospital staffs. Much has been already done in recent years to provide new accommodation and to improve existing accommodation. A very substantial building programme to that end is in progress and a further substantial programme has been approved and is in planning. In regard to nurses alone, places for no fewer than 459 are being built at present and planning is in progress for a further 745.
Would the Minister not agree that the provision of accommodation for nursing and non-nursing personnel tends to be left at the end of a long queue of needs for capital in relation to the hospitals service and that even the programme dealing with the future developments of the hospital services has not given adequate attention to the provision of good standards of accommodation for nursing and non-nursing personnel? If the Minister is not prepared to set up a consultative council, would he have a thorough investigation made so that the needs can be properly assessed?
We are constantly examining this matter. In the last ten years some 2,000 places have been provided by way of accommodation for nurses, or are in the process of being provided, or are at the planning stage. I think honestly that that is real progress. We have spent a considerable amount of money on this matter. If the Deputy likes to ask a question about the amount of capital spent in the last ten years, he will find that in relation to the total hospital programme we have been doing our best to solve the problem.