Vol. 497 No. 1
66 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, there are to build a new casualty department in the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7; if so, the estimated cost involved; the starting date; and the timescale for this facility. [24295/98]
The Deputy will be aware that a major development project for the Mater Hospital has been under discussion for some time. Consequently, I was pleased to be in a position to approve the development of phase I of the project in November 1997, at a cost limit of £25 million. In May 1998, I approved the appointment of the design team for the development. Its initial task will be the preparation of a development control plan — DCP — for the entire Mater site, including the relocation of the Children's Hospital, Temple Street, followed by phase I of the development. Phase I will include the following: accident and emergency department; out patient department; hospital sterile services department; and operating theatres.
Surveys of the site and of existing buildings are currently being carried out. Completion of the DCP is scheduled for the end of this year. I would hope that the detailed planning of phase I will be completed by autumn 1999 and that construction work would proceed without delay.
