Vol. 433 No. 7
12 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Health the number of hospitals in the State where overnight accommodation facilities exist for parents of the children in hospital; and the steps, if any, he intends to take to ensure accommodation is provided when required.
In general, hospitals which treat children make every effort to ensure that overnight accommodation is provided for parents where necessary or when the parents make a specific request. The accommodation varies from hospital to hospital with some hospitals in a position to offer dedicated accommodation in or adjacent to the children's ward.
The Deputy will realise that the type and quality of the facilities on offer at any time vary depending on the number of parents seeking such accommodation and also the degree to which a particular hospital treats children. In this context, children's hospitals tend to have dedicated parents' facilities, reflecting the level of children's activity carried on there.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): The question was about the number of hospitals in the State where overnight accommodation facilities exist for single parents. Is it possible for the Minister to give the number?
Every hospital provides it. I can give the degree in respect of every hospital.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): Would the Minister accept that it is a very important part of medical care to ensure that children are not fretting and that every hospital that deals with children should have a special place for parents? I would like to know roughly how many hospitals in the country do so.
I am trying to give a very comprehensive answer to the Deputy. I trawled every hospital——
(Carlow-Kilkenny): I do not want the names of them.
I will give the categories. Basically the level of care falls into three categories. The first category includes hospitals which provide dedicated accommodation on a hospital site which is adjacent to the children's ward. Approximately 25 hospitals that responded fall into that category and they would incluce all the main children's hospitals, including Temple Street Hospital, Harcourt Stret Hospital and Our Lady's Hospital. The second category includes hospitals where there is no specific overnight accommodation but they would offer armchairs or chairbeds to parents who wish to stay by their children's side for the night. About ten hospitals fall into that category. The third category includes hospitals that have no overnight facilities, mainly because they treat no children or very few children during the year. About six hospitals fall into that category.
