Vol. 403 No. 3
79 Mr. S. Barrett asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the long delay in providing physiotherapy treatment in St. Michael's Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin due to lack of resources; and if he has any plans to provide the necessary funds to enable this service to be improved.
The organisation of physiotherapy services at St. Michael's Hospital is a matter for the board of the hospital in the first instance.
I understand that St. Michael's Hospital has a well equipped physiotherapy unit staffed at present by three physiotherapists. The demand for physiotherapy services at this unit is such that hospital policy is that priority is given to in-patients and those referred from casualty and the out-patient departments of the hospital. This has meant that the physiotherapy department at St. Michael's has come under pressure from GP referrals.
Regarding the question of resources I would like to point out that this hospital received a revenue allocation of £3.57 million in 1990 compared with £3.18 million in 1989. It is a matter for the hospital to decide on how best these funds are used taking into account service needs and competing demands for the resources available.
