Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jun 1995

Vol. 455 No. 3

Written Answers - Manpower Report on North Eastern Health Board.

Robert Molloy

Question:

78 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Health if a Comhairle na nOspidéal Committee has drawn up a manpower report on the North-Eastern Health Board; if so, the plans, if any, there are to publish this document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12152/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): Within the closing months of the term of office of the Sixth Comhairle, a request was received from the North Eastern Health Board to undertake a comprehensive review of consultant manpower in the area. In April 1992, a Comhairle committee commenced activity on this task. During the latter half of 1992 and early 1993, extensive consultations took place between representatives of the committee and the consultants based in each of the acute hospitals in the north-east.

In September 1993, the North Eastern Health Board adopted a policy statement entitled "A New Direction for Acute Hospital Services" which guaranteed that each of the five hospitals — Cavan, Monaghan, Dundalk, Drogheda (a public voluntary hospital) and Navan — would have an active role in the delivery of a comprehensive acute hospital service for the region. This involved a corporate and regional approach to the delivery of services including the grouping of hospitals and the setting up of joint departments within each group. The following month, the Comhairle was notified by the North Eastern Health Board that they had decided on two groupings of hospitals — (i) Cavan and Monaghan and (ii) Dundalk, Drogheda and Navan.

In view of the high degree of uniformity between the health board's proposals and the thinking of the Comhairle committee, it was decided that the work of the committee should not be progressed further. The Comhairle expressed its support and admiration for the considerable advances made by the health board and its management team in dealing with its problems.

In February 1994 ten consultant posts for the Cavan-Monaghan Hospital Group were approved by my Department and subsequently cleared by the Comhairle in November 1994. These posts are now in the process of being filled.

With regard to the Louth-Meath Hospital Group, six consultant posts were approved by my Department in February 1995 and all of these posts were approved by the Comhairle at their meeting on 28 June 1995.