Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 3

Written Answers. - Health Centres.

John McGuinness

Question:

249 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department has received plans from the South-Eastern Health Board to provide a new health centre at Kilmanagh, County Kilkenny, and to upgrade the centre at Callan, County Kilkenny; if so, if there is funding available for these projects; and the timeframe for these projects. [6132/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The provision and upgrading of health centres in County Kilkenny is a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board in the first instance.

Early last year the board submitted a priority list of health centre projects and neither Kilmanagh nor Callan were included. However, officials of my Department have recently contacted the health boards and requested them to submit their up to date priority lists.

The provision of financial support from my Department for any proposed project is considered in the context of the priority which the health board attaches to it, the available capital resources and the competing demands on those resources. Accordingly, I am not in a position to indicate whether funding will be made available for either of these two proposed projects or the timeframe for their completion.