Vol. 505 No. 2
131 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which facilities at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children are sufficient to meet requirements; if his attention has been drawn to specific needs; if he will respond favourably to a request for improvement and extension of facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13405/99]
Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, is one of three paediatric hospitals located in the Dublin area. The hospital plays a key role in the provision of specialised secondary and tertiary referral service for children.
This year Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children was allocated over £35.5 million. Included in this allocation is a provision of £628,000 to meet the costs of service developments in the areas of ICU, radiology, nephrology, microbiology, infectious diseases, pathology and cystic fibrosis. Also included in the hospital's overall allocation is a sum of £95,000 to fund its waiting list activity.
In addition to the above, the Deputy may be aware, I have a granted approval to the hospital to appoint a design team for the theatre development at the hospital. When completed, the new theatre development will provide five new operating theatres with ancillary accommodation, a day surgery area and a central sterile supplies department. The existing theatre facilities will be upgraded to provide a further two theatre suites. It is expected that when these theatres are fully commissioned Our Lady's Hospital will be in a position to perform an additional 100 paediatric cardiac procedures which is a 40 per cent increase on existing capacity.
The estimated completion date for the development is 2002. However, the timing of the completion of planning and tendering and the commencement and completion of construction for the development will depend on several variable factors which are difficult to assess accurately in advance and it is not possible, therefore, to give a precise timetable for this project.
The Deputy may also wish to note, that I have also approved the appointment of an additional consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and a consultant cardiologist to the hospital and I understand that the process of appointing suitable persons to these posts is under way.
