asked the Minister for Health if he will make available the necessary £700,000 to enable Castlebar General Hospital, County Mayo, to open in 1989; and if he will make a statement on the matter, in view of its urgency to the people of the county.
27.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Castlebar (Mayo) General Hospital.
9.
asked the Minister for Health when phase one of the new general hospital in Castlebar, County Mayo, will be opened to receive patients.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 27 together. This is a matter for the eastern health board in the first instance but I understand that the new facility is expected to take on patients by the end of October this year.
I have made a specific revenue provision of £270,000 in the board's allocation for 1989 to allow for the opening of the new extension this year. A sum of £2.5 million has been expended on equipping this development, including x-ray and operating theatre equipment.
Is the Minister aware that the Western Health Board have submitted a detailed claim in respect of the amount of expenditure required to actually open the unit this year? Is the Minister further aware that a specific commitment was given by the Taoiseach prior to the last election that the unit would open? Is the Minister aware also that the unit has been lying idle for the past two years, like the Berkeley Court, that it is the second busiest hospital in the Western Health Board region and that it is one of the busiest for its size in the British Isles? Can the Minister give a guarantee on behalf of the people there that it will actually open in October this year and that the Minister will make available money requested by the health board?
If a commitment was made before the last election it will certainly be honoured.
It will be the only one.
I have allocated £270,000 for the current year.
(Interruptions.)
Let us hear the Minister.
It will be opened in October of this year. A sum of £2.5 million was provided last year in order to equip Castlebar hospital so that it could be opened in the current year.
Expensive hospitals and no patients.
The Minister, Deputy Flynn, is celebrating his 50th birthday this weekend. It might be a nice present if the Minister sent him down and got him to announce it.
Question No.10 please.