Vol. 449 No. 8
53 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health his views on the maldistribution of specialists as distinct from general expertise between Dublin and the rest of the country; and his views on the fact that in the absence of a sufficient concentration of expertise in Cork, many tertiary referrals from the wider Munster area tend to go to Dublin.[2439/95]
69 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health his views on the proposal by Comhairle na nOspidéal that the hospital service for Cork and Kerry be broken into new speciality divisions. [2438/95]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions No. 53 and No. 69 together. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the current organisation of hospital services and consultant manpower in the Southern Health Board has been the subject of a review by a sub-committee of Comhairle na nOpsidéal since early 1994. Discussions have been held by the sub-committee with all interested parties in the Southern Health Board including managment, consultant medical staff, University College Cork and the hospitals in the area. The Comhairle na nOspidéal report, incorporating an assessment of the consultant staffing and hospital service situations in the Cork-Kerry area, has just been published.
My Department is considering the comhairle report which includes recommendations relating to the co-ordination and development of hospital service and consultant manpower in Cork and Kerry. I would like to take this opportunity to record my appreciation to the Comhairle and to all the institutions, groups and individuals who participated in the review and to assure them that detailed consideration will be given to the report and its recommendations.
