asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the expansionary activities in the last ten years and the future plans of the Mater Hospital, Dublin giving details of the amount and area of property acquired or to be acquired, the use to which such property has been put; its future uses and the amount of public subvention involved; and if he will make a statement on such developments.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mater Hospital, Dublin.
39.
The Mater Hospital will be developed as one of the six major general hospitals in the Dublin area. The planning of the development of the hospital is being undertaken at the moment by a project team comprising representatives of the hospital and of my Department, and, pending detailed planning, it is not possible to say how the hospital will ultimately be developed.
In order to provide for this development, the hospital authorities have acquired certain properties in the vicinity of the hospital. Apart from a grant towards the purchase of 40 Eccles Street, no subvention was made from public funds towards the cost of these properties and the purchases were negotiated privately by the hospital authorities. Accordingly, it would not be a matter for me to furnish the details requested by the Deputy.
I have under consideration recent applications from the hospital authorities for grants towards the cost of some further purchases but it would not be appropriate to furnish details of the properties involved at this stage of the negotiations.
In my question I indicated that I would appreciate some details of the amount and area of property acquired and perhaps the Minister might be in a position to supply that. Secondly, will he indicate when the project team to which he referred was set up?
Whatever about it being set up, we hope to have the brief ready within a very short time.
Can the Minister give an indication of the property which has been acquired in the last decade? This was one of the points in my question.
The only case where I was called upon to make funds available was in respect of one house at 40 Eccles Street. Certainly the major development plan which is under consideration at present would involve more purchases than that.
Perhaps I have not made myself clear. I was trying to ascertain to what extent the hospital, which is the beneficiary of public funds and which is getting the attention of the project team, has been acquiring property in the area, including residential property, during a period of years. Secondly, is the school which is next to it, and which is currently the subject of some controversy, one of the properties that is likely to be acquired in the near future? Is the Minister sympathetic to the hospital's application for that property also? In fairness, I asked about the area of the property acquired or to be acquired and I am not getting that information.
The Deputy is asking what seems to be a specific supplementary question——
It is related to my question.
The Mater Hospital is a private voluntary hospital and I am not at liberty to disclose details of its confidential transactions. So far as public funds are concerned, I have an obligation to the House to disclose to it if any public funds are dispensed for any particular purpose. I have indicated already that we have given funds for the purchase of No. 40 Eccles Street.
Does the Minister not believe it would be helpful to us——
It might not be helpful to the Mater Hospital.
——to know with regard to the policy of his Department precisely what are his plans for expansion of the hospital? Surely that is a matter of public interest. I tabled a question on this matter but I have not got a reply.
The Deputy is repeating himself.
I am not getting an answer to my question.
The Chair has no power to compel the Minister to answer a question which the Deputy has repeated several times.
All I can say is that I did not get a reply to the question I tabled and I wonder what is the reason.
I have indicated to the Deputy that I am not at liberty to disclose the confidential transactions of a private institution.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Surely if the Minister is making public funds available——
I have said that.
(Cavan-Monaghan): ——we are entitled to know how the funds will be spent. The Minister has not told us about that.
I have told the House that the only property for which public funds were availed of by the Mater was No. 40 Eccles Street.
If the project team are concerned with the wider development of the hospital, surely we are entitled to know about the activities of the project team, about what buildings——
I have told the Deputy that very shortly we hope to have the whole planning brief ready.
Surely we are entitled to know the area which they are presently considering and the amount of property involved?
The Deputy is old enough to understand that when an institution such as the Mater Hospital is seeking to acquire private property they have to maintain confidentiality in their negotiations.
I asked about the property acquired and the Minister did not refer to that.
I have told the Deputy that the only case so far where public funds were involved was in respect of No. 40 Eccles Street.
So far.
We cannot pursue this matter further. I am calling the next question.
We will have another go at it.