Vol. 502 No. 3
337 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the content of each phase of the proposed three phase development for Tullamore General Hospital; the timeframe for this development; and the way in which this capital investment will impinge on much needed capital investment for Mullingar General Hospital. [7869/99]
The development at Tullamore General Hospital will proceed in two phases. The first will involve the great bulk of the work to be carried out, such as new entrance and concourse, medical and sur gical wards, accident and emergency department, radiology department, intensive care-coronary care unit, and a range of ambulatory day care facilities including the out-patient department, day theatre, oncology unit and renal services.
The second phase of the project, which will include the education centre and Midland Health Board headquarters, will complete the development.
The detailed planning of this project has now commenced and it is hoped to commence construction next year. Given its size, the timescale for the completion of the facilities will be about three years from the time that building starts.
I must emphasise that the development at Tullamore General Hospital will benefit all of the people of the Midland Health Board. The hospital provides regional specialties in orthopaedics and ENT, and improvements in these services will be to the advantage of everyone in the Midland Health Board area.
The development means that all three acute hospitals in the Midland Health Board area are the subject of significant investment. I provided over £2 million to open Phase 2A of Longford-Westmeath General Hospital, a development that had remained idle for a lengthy period while the last Government was in office. I have also approved the detailed planning stage of the acute psychiatric unit at Portlaoise General Hospital together with approval to expanding the project to include a new paediatric unit.
The Deputy will be aware that the Midland Health Board's own plan for the development of acute hospital facilities involves, firstly, Phase 2A of Longford-Westmeath General Hospital, which is now complete, followed by the developments at Tullamore and Portlaoise, followed by Phase 2B of Longford-Westmeath General Hospital.
