asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate when he is prepared to give the financial allocation for the works, already approved in 1978, for St. John's Hospital, Limerick.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick Hospitals.
21.
I am unable to indicate when I will be in a position to allow building work to commence on this scheme. I will, however, keep the position under review.
Is the Minister aware of the acute shortage of beds in the general hospitals in Limerick city? These proposals came before his predecessor in 1978 and were approved. No financial allocation was made to carry out these works. There is great urgency in this case. I appeal to the Minister to attend to it immediately and not delay the project any further.
I will consider them in the context of the resources available at the beginning of this year.
This programme was suggested in 1978 and this is 1981. The Minister is now telling me that St. John's Hospital in Limerick cannot get the allocation to which it is entitled to carry out building projects.
A question, Deputy, please.
That is a question.
It is a statement.
I want to elicit from the Minister exactly what his intentions are in relation to St. John's Hospital, Limerick. Plans and proposals were put before and approved by his predecessor in 1978. The Minister now tells me that he will consider them. Consider them when?
I have told the Deputy that I will consider them in the context of the money available to me at this time.
22.
asked the Minister for Health if he will accede to the request of the joint deputations from Barringtons and St. John's Hospitals, Limerick, to meet them at an early date.
In response to a request that I should receive a joint deputation from these two hospitals I indicated that because of extremely heavy commitments I would not find it possible to meet them personally for some time.
I suggested as an alternative that they should meet with officers of my Department and they have agreed to do that. A meeting is accordingly being arranged at an early date.
Could the Minister indicate when is "an early date"?
The meeting has been agreed. I do not know whether I had got the exact date of the meeting. An early date presumably would be within a matter of weeks. It is a meeting between officers of my Department and representatives of the hospitals. They have agreed to meet, so I presume the meeting will be quite early. If the Deputy wants to know more about the date of the meeting I will find out and let him know.
When did the Minister receive the request to meet a deputation from both these hospitals?
On 4 November the hospitals asked the Minister to receive representatives of the management committee of St. John's Hospital. Discussions have gone on and an arrangement has been made for a meeting between the officials and the representatives of the hospitals.
It will be within a few weeks?
At an early date which will be almost immediately.