Vol. 494 No. 6
72 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the chronic need for additional funding at Waterford Regional Hospital in view of the inability to provide essential services, particularly for the elderly during the winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18945/98]
The provision of services at Waterford Regional Hospital is a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board in the first instance. In line with the provisions of the Health (Amendment) Act, 1996, the board is obliged to produce a service plan for the year based on the board's notified non-capital determination, which is £211,045 million in 1998.
It is the board's responsibility to provide services within that allocation and to develop monthly expenditure plans and ongoing monitoring arrangements within that context. I am aware from the South-Eastern Health Board that activity in the board's general hospitals, including Waterford Regional Hospital, for the first six months of this year is well up on the same period last year and that this is giving rise to budgetary concerns. In line with the provision of the Health (Amendment) Act, 1996, however, it is a matter for the health board management to take whatever budgetary measures are required to ensure that net expenditure is contained within approved levels by the year end.
