Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Question:15 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, that has been made on a legal framework for the new Tallaght Hospital. [12015/95]
Written Answers - Tallaght Hospital Management.
Limerick East): In August 1990 the then Minister for Health established a working party, chaired by Mr. David Kingston, to consider possible future management arrangements for the new Tallaght Hospital. The working party comprised representatives of the three hospitals transferring to Tallaght, the Adelaide, Meath and National Children's Hospitals. The working party in its report submitted to the then Minister for Health in November 1991 stated that the three hospitals had agreed that the legal instrument governing the new Tallaght Hospital would be an amendment of the existing Adelaide Hospital Charter, 1921. This amendment would be made under section 76 of the Health Act, 1970.
A Government decision to commence the construction of a new acute general hospital at Tallaght was taken on 3 November 1992, subject to agreement between the three hospitals transferring to Tallaght on the outstanding issues relating to board structure and management. Following discussions between representatives of the three hospitals transferring to Tallaght under the chairmanship of Professor David Kennedy and Mr. David Kingston agreement was reached on 25 May 1993 on the composition of the board of management for Tallaght Hospital and other issues.
Following the acceptance of the heads of agreement of May 1993 by the boards of the three hospitals and approval by the Government, negotiations between the three hospitals continued under the chairmanship of Professor David Kennedy with a view to agreeing upon the text of a revised charter which would reflect the interests of the three hospitals and form the basis for the future governance arrangements of the new hospital at Tallaght.
Professor Kennedy has recently informed the Department that agreement has been reached with the chairmen of the Meath, Adelaide and National Children's Hospitals on the text of a draft charter for Tallaght Hospital. The draft charter has now been approved by the boards of two of the hospitals, the Adelaide and National Children's Hospitals. The draft charter has been formally submitted to me with a request for Government and Oireachtas approval of the various amendments to the existing charter. However, I am informed that the draft charter has yet to be approved by the full board of the Meath Hospital and will be considered further by the board at their next meeting on 13 July.
I understand that consideration of the draft charter has been deferred to allow for a written submission to the board by the unions representing staff from the Meath Hospital transferring to Tallaght. While it is understandable that agreement on sensitive and difficult issues must take time, I am now very concerned that despite a protracted period of detailed and intensive negotiations between the three hospitals, based on heads of agreement which were accepted over two years ago by the boards of the three hospitals and approved by the Government, it has still not proved possible for the Meath Hospital Board to agree on the draft charter.
I am anxious to see the board of the new hospital put in place at the earliest date under the provisions of an amended charter, so as to provide a unified management structure which will allow for a speedy and efficient transfer of the three hospitals to Tallaght.