asked the Minister for Health if he will designate Waterford city as a site for the regional hospital for the south-east; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
19.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Regional and County Hospitals.
18.
asked the Minister for Health if he has received proposals for the federation of Roscommon County Hospital and the Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; if he has approved of the proposals or if he will make a statement on the present position regarding them.
20.
asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the rapidly deteriorating conditions at the Mallow County Hospital, County Cork, where, for some time past, surgical cases cannot be admitted or surgery performed on patients at the hospital because of the non-availability of an anaesthetist; and, in view of the detrimental effect which such conditions have on the confidence of the staff and public alike, he will now define the role of Mallow County Hospital within the national hospital services programme.
21.
asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date position regarding the provision of a new county hospital at Tralee, County Kerry.
22.
asked the Minister for Health if he has made any decision in regard to the implementation of the Fitzgerald Report.
23.
asked the Minister for Health if he will approve the plans for the new mortuary at the County Hospital, Tullamore, County Offaly.
24.
asked the Minister for Health if he will approve (a) the plans for the day hospital and extension to the geriatric unit, County Hospital, Tullamore, County Offaly and (b) the plans for the new slaughterhouse and the staff residence at St. Fintan's Hospital, Portlaoise, County Laois.
25.
asked the Minister for Health the extension and improvements which his Department have carried out on the County Hospital, Tullamore, County Offaly; and if he will outline in detail the plans which are before his Department to meet the increasing demands on hospital services in County Offaly.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos 18 to 25 together.
A Cabinet sub-committee has been set up to consider the proposals for hospital developments which evolved from examination by the various health administrative bodies. As Deputies are aware, it was announced recently that the hospital plans for Dublin have been approved by the Government.
Consideration of the plans for the rest of the country is proceeding and announcements will be made as consideration is completed. In the meantime I am not in a position to make a statement about individual hospitals.
With regard to the post of anaesthetist at Mallow County Hospital, I understand that the permanent post of anaesthetist will be advertised in the near future and that a temporary anaesthetist took up duty there this week and will, I hope, provide a service until the permanent appointment is made.
With regard to Deputy Connolly's and Deputy Enright's specific questions about the County Hospital, Tullamore and St. Fintan's Hospital, Portlaoise, the following extensions have been carried out at the County Hospital, Tullamore: (a) A new 100-bed geriatric unit; (b) New covered way linking the new unit to the main hospital building; (c) Additional dormitory accommodation for nursing and domestic staff; (d) New pharmacy, stores and boilerhouse; (e) Extension of kitchen; (f) Extension of X-ray department.
The following proposals about the County Hospital, Tullamore are before my Department: (i) Day hospital facilities for geriatrics; (ii) New stores; (iii) New mortuary. Examination of these proposals is proceeding as quickly as possible.
With regard to St. Fintan's Hospital, Portlaoise, the proposal for a new slaughterhouse has been considered and a decision will be conveyed to the health board in the near future. Following correspondence with my Department the board are considering the submission of a revised schedule of accommodation for the proposed new staff residence at the hospital.
If I understood the Minister's reply correctly—he took together a large number of questions which in my opinion are totally unrelated to one another, one of which was about the proposed erection of a regional hospital in Waterford—he said that a committee was sitting on this question. Is he not aware that this question was examined thoroughly a long time ago by the Fitzgerald Committee and that a strong recommendation was made in that report for the city of Kilkenny as a site for the regional hospital? Is there any need to set up another committee to examine the findings of the former committee?
I would remind the Deputy, first of all, that I am not operating strictly under the Fitzgerald Report. The Deputy said there was consideration given in the various health boards to the siting of hospitals. There were conflicting views which I have to take into consideration. That, as I said, will be done with the help of a sub-committee of the Cabinet.
Who will be the people on this committee?
I am not going to tell the Deputy that.
Will the choice be made in secret?
Will they be members of the administrative council of the Labour Party?
Is the Minister aware that the South-Eastern Health Board recommended Waterford as the centre for the regional hospital? Could he possibly make a statement about the establishment of the hospital in Waterford before the end of this year?
I will make a recommendation as soon as the sub-committee have completed their findings?
I did not hear what sub-committee the Minister referred to. What is it a sub-committee of?
It is a sub-committee of the Cabinet who will consider the whole policy on the siting of hospitals.
Will the findings of this committee supersede the views of Comhairle na nOspidéal? In the Minister's long reply did he give any answer to Question No. 19 in relation to Roscommon/Ballinasloe?
As the Deputy is aware, a federation between Portiuncula and Roscommon was first proposed by the Western Health Board in 1973. No decision was reached before the consultations with the health administrative bodies on the hospital development programme were initiated. The working group, consisting of members of the Western Health Board, the Galway Regional Hospital and Comhairle na nOspidéal, which was established to examine the question of general hospital development in the Western Health Board area, proposed the following solutions: (a) A regional teaching hospital at Galway; a hospital at Castlebar and a third hospital complex comprising a federation of Portiuncula and Roscommon; (b) A regional teaching hospital at Galway; a hospital at Castlebar and a hospital at Ballinasloe; (c) A regional teaching hospital at Galway, a hospital at Castlebar and a hospital at Roscommon. The first one I mentioned was recommended by the Western Health Board, by the Galway Regional Hospital Board and by each of the local health committees.
Has the Minister any further plans in regard to extra bed accommodation in the County Hospital at Tullamore? While I am pleased with the proposals outlined nevertheless it is important——
A question, Deputy, please.
Is the Minister aware that further beds are necessary in the surgical and medical sections of Tullamore hospital at present?
Works were carried out at the County Hospital, Tullamore and completed at the end of 1973 at a total cost of £470,000. There are other proposals in early planning stages and they are all currently under examination in the Department. Some estimates of the cost were received on 16th October, 1973 and the figures were: for day hospital facilities, £114,000; stores, £120,000 and the Department's estimate for a mortuary of £40,000, a total of £274,000. These were the only proposals.
I did not hear the Minister's reply to Question No. 21 about the county hospital in Tralee.
(Interruptions.)
The Chair has an obligation to call those Deputies who have questions down in the first instance.
Tralee is one of the areas where there is urgency about hospital development. It seems that all the bodies that were consulted and discussed the problem down there agreed that the site of the hospital should be at Tralee.
I am sure the Minister is well aware that the present county hospital in Tralee is completely inadequate for the requirements of County Kerry and that the building of this hospital has been on the long finger for a long time. I would appeal to the Minister to get it off the ground as quickly as possible.
(Interruptions.)
When will the Minister be in a position to approve of the plans for Portlaoise and Tullamore hospitals—the plans that are now in his Department?
Does the Deputy mean when will there be a final decision in regard to Tullamore?
Yes, in regard to the plans in the Minister's office at present.
I listed these for Deputy Enright.
But you did not say when you would approve them.
No.
When will you?
In my own good time.
You cannot lie on them for ever.
(Interruptions.)
As far as I am aware they lay in the office of the former Minister for five-and-a-half years.
(Interruptions.)
The Minister will agree that the present piecemeal extensions and improvements may very well turn out to involve unnecessary expenditure when the final decision regarding the hospital is made. Would he not consider that in the meantime something should be done about expediting the report or stopping the extensions that may prove unnecessary?
Any approvals I have given would be necessary no matter what the status of the hospital would be.
A Cheann Comhairle——
I am sorry; I have given a lot of latitude to Deputies on these questions and I must pass on.
Did the Cabinet sub-committee findings supersede the Fitzgerald Report and the decisions of Comhairle na nOspidéal?
The Fitzgerald Report, while it was accepted in principle, does not bind me, or this House, or the Government to any of the proposals in it.
In what way will the findings of the Cabinet subcommittee influence or supersede decisions of Comhairle na nOspidéal?
Generally, Cabinet decisions will be in accordance with the guidelines set down by Comhairle na nOspidéal and transmitted to the various health boards.
(Interruptions.)
The Minister referred to plans recently announced regarding Dublin. Will he now give a firm assurance to the House that the timetable indicated will be adhered to?
I did not set down any timetable.
You are going to lie on it.
Five-and-a-half years.
When did you get the report from the Midland Health Board?
In the spring of this year.
How could it be there five-and-a-half years.
I am telling the Deputy that the Fitzgerald Report lay there for five-and-a-half years.
(Interruptions.)