asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure the continuance of the training school in St. Brigid's Hospital, Ardee, County Louth.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ardee Hospital Training School.
4.
The future of the training school in St. Brigid's Hospital, Ardee will be considered shortly as part of a general review of training facilities for psychiatric nurses in the country as a whole. It would not be possible to indicate in advance of that review how the school at St. Brigid's Hospital might be affected.
Seeing that this training hospital has been in existence for a long time, could the Minister give it favourable consideration and retain it as a school?
As the Deputy is probably aware, there was a working party established some few years ago to decide what changes, if any, there might be in regard to the training of psychiatric nurses. The report has been circulated to all the interested parties, including the health boards and the nurses' unions. The various aspects of this report are now being discussed. It is suggested that there might be a regional scheme for training but, in that context, every single psychiatric hospital will be considered.