Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 6

Written Answers. - Hospital Accommodation.

Paul McGrath

Question:

294 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children when a property (details supplied) in County Longford was acquired by the Midland Health Board; the cost of this property; the cost of renovating this property; the cost of fitting it out to accommodate 23 psychiatric patients; the rental or lease costs, if any, associated with the property; the annual upkeep or maintenance costs of this property since 1994; and his views on the fact that, in spite of investment of taxpayer's money in this property, it still remains unoccupied. [25281/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I understand from the Midland Health Board that the property in question at Edgeworthstown, County Longford, was acquired in October 1996 by Aontacht Phobail Teoranta –APT–, a company controlled by the Midland Health Board, at a total cost of £130,974. The cost of renovating and fitting out the accommodation amounted to £58,000. The annual rent for the property payable by the board to APT is £2,400 and the annual upkeep costs in the region of £3,000.

The property was acquired in the context of ward closures in St. Loman's Hospital, Mullingar, and the need to provide improved community-based accommodation for psychiatric patients. Despite the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission, no agreement has been reached to date between the board and the Psychiatric Nurses Association on the staffing levels at the new facility and for this reason it has not yet been opened. I understand that the board have put new proposals to the union side for consideration and are currently awaiting a response.