asked the Minister for Health the timetable agreed on to build a four-storey building at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; and if the initial capital costs of funding the project will be available this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ballinasloe (Galway) Hospital Project.
10.
Agreement has been reached between the authorities of Portiuncula Hospital and my Department that new accommodation for the x-ray and pathology departments, which are regarded as priority areas for development, will be provided on the top two floors of a four-storey block to be constructed at the hospital.
Stage 4 documentation, recently submitted to the Department, has now been examined and approval has been given to the hospital authority to commence the final stage of planning, that is, the preparation of bills of quantities.
How much money is being allocated this year for this project?
On 31 January last the hospital authorities wrote to the Department offering £500,000 or a sum sufficient to complete the first two storeys so as to provide the out-patient and casualty facilities. This offer was conditional on provision being made in the Department's capital programme for the budget cost of the project. The hospital's proposals have been accepted by the Department and this will only increase marginally the time scale for building — by a further six to nine months. It is expected that the project will be ready to be put to tender in July this year. On that basis construction of the project could begin in September 1983 with the building being completed in about two years. However, that will depend on the contractor who is appointed. A medium-sized contractor would probably need about two years to complete the work while a major contractor would be much faster. The position is that the money has been allocated and will be available in September.
Is it the position that the hospital are providing £500,000 this year and that the Department will be in a position to provide funding this year if necessary?
Yes. At January 1982 prices the cost was put at £1.35 million and the hospital authorities were putting up £500,000. I would imagine that the January 1982 prices would have to be revised, but in any event the project could start in September 1983 depending on the speed with which the tendering arrangements are completed.