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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 May 1983

Vol. 342 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Castlebar General Hospital.

7.

asked the Minister for Health when he proposes to approve the Castlebar General Hospital development programme; if he is aware of the serious situation that exists at the hospital because of overcrowding, which is resulting in health and fire hazards for all those using the facilities there; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

8.

asked the Minister for Health when it is proposed to commence work on Castlebar General Hospital, County Mayo.

9.

asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the inadequate accommodation and facilities at the County Hospital, Castlebar, County Mayo, and of the concern of the staff at possible fire hazards arising from fire escapes and passage-ways being obstructed from time to time by extra beds; if he will make a statement on the up-to-date position of the project and allocate finance to enable the project to go to tender in the current year.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 8 and 9 together.

I should first of all explain that I have already indicated publicly the developments which I regard as essential for the implementation of a rational medium-term capital development programme for the acute general hospitals. At the same time I also indicated that certain hospitals which were not included in the programme for major development could not be expected to continue to provide adequate services without some in-put of resources.

In that context, and having regard to the difficulties which are being experienced in some departments at Castlebar General Hospital and in particular the children's unit and the out-patients department, I have decided to allow a limited capital scheme to go to tender at the hospital in 1984. On my instructions officers of my Department met with the management of the health board to identify the minimum capital requirements necessary to alleviate difficulties at the hospital. The necessary arrangements are now being made so that a contract can go to tender next year.

Would the Minister clarify one particular sentence in his reply to the effect that he has accepted the need for capital expenditure but did I hear him correctly that there would be a limited scheme allowed to tender next year to deal with the paediatric unit?

That is correct. There is overcrowding in the childrens' unit. It is very severe and so there is a high risk of infection. Because of the overcrowding and the pressure on beds the situation could be very difficult in the event of fire. I have made provision accordingly and as recently as 3 May officers of my Department visited the hospital and inspected the priorities with officials of the health board and members of the design team and as a consequence of that I have reached agreement on a specific tender.

Could the Minister indicate when he expects the work to go to contract?

I would expect the work to go to tender very early in 1984 and I propose to include a specific provision in the capital programme in that year. I would hope it would be early in 1984 and then in a matter of four to five months tenders should be back and arrangements can then be made for construction.

The Minister referred to a limited capital programme for the children's unit. Do I take it he will not allow to go to tender the substantial scheme he estimated which was somewhere in the region of £20 million? In other words, it will be a phased capital programme, starting with one unit next year.

The Deputy is correct. The overall scheme in terms of the current capital programme would have been £20.045 million spread over four years but the previous administration provided for a start in 1987. I am now proposing in relation to the first block of development to provide new accommodation for children, for medical and surgical patients and out-patients. That first block will meet the most urgent needs of the hospital at a cost of about £5 million. When that is completed then the second block will go to tender, a block which will provide kitchen and dining facilities and so on, and that block will cost about £6 million — in all therefore about £11 million commencing in 1984 and spread over a three-and-a-half year period. These are the urgent immediate needs of the hospital.

What the Minister has now stated is entirely different from what he led the people of County Mayo to believe when he appeared on a Today Tonight programme. It was put clearly to him that he would allow the total scheme to go to tender next year and I ask him to confirm this. Now he tells the House that the scheme for next year will be a tender for £5 million with no indication whatsoever of when any further tenders might be contemplated. I put it to the Minister he has misled the community and broken a solemn commitment.

I assure the Deputy that every satisfaction has been expressed in the Department regarding the agreement reached between the Department, the senior planning staff and the members of the design team. This contrasts with the notoriety being sought by the Deputy whose party had not made any provision in this regard for 1984, 1985 or 1986 and only tentatively for 1987.

That is not so.

Commencing in 1984 there will be the substantial expenditure of £5 million. The best efforts of the contractors and of the design team will be required in 1984-85 but I am insisting that the ward accommodation be provided as the first phase of this development and ultimately we will have the overcrowding and other problems to cater for. This diverges in no way from the observations I made either on the television programme referred to or at any other time.

I thank the Minister for allowing this very necessary work to commence next year, but do I understand him to say that the previous Government, of which two of my colleagues on the other side of the House were senior members, did not make any provision for this project except a tentative provision for 1987? Deputy Flynn seems to be upset now that limited works may start next year.

We must not have argument.

Is the Deputy addressing his remarks to me or to the Minister?

When, with the agreement of the Western Health Board and Department of Health officials, the works have commenced, will the major proportion of the work proceed on a phased basis under the authority of the Minister?

Basically, there are two phases in the project. As the Deputy knows, the design work has been turned around. The original proposal was to demolish the nurses' home and then to clear a major site and start a phased development. The design team are happy that the most urgent need is in the areas of new accommodation for children and of medical, surgical, specialist and out-patient facilities. The £5 million expenditure will go to tender immediately and the second phase will involve the provision of kitchen and dining facilities as well as a pharmacy and a theatre. This will cost another £6 million.

It will be a long time before that is completed.

The previous administration had made provision for the expenditure of £750,000 by 1987 but I am now advancing that considerably and I should think that by that time we will have spent a minimum of from £12 million to £15 million on the project.

I am allowing one last supplementary from Deputy Flynn on this group of questions.

The Minister knows well that the design work for this project was not for a phased development but he is now introducing this new strategy. It is entirely out of keeping with what was intended. It is not true to say that the previous administration did not make provision for this project.

Has the Deputy a question?

In The Way Forward we talked of the provision of £260 million for certain projects and this one at Castlebar was included. It would have been for the Minister of the day to decide how much of that money should be spent on Castlebar or anywhere else, so it is misleading for the Minister to suggest that the project was not included in our projections. Not only was it included but it was agreed.

The Deputy must ask a question.

I put it to the Minister that, having regard to the way he is carrying on, the first phase of this development will not be completed by 1989.

I shall be very pleased to extend to the Deputy an invitation to turn the first sod with me in 1984.

It will be a long time before any new sod will be turned in Mayo.

Question No. 10.

I wish to ask one supplementary.

I am sorry but I will not allow any further question. We have moved on to the next question.

I merely wish to have something clarified.

I am not allowing any further supplementary on this matter.

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