I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter which seeks clarification of the powers of health boards as between the executive and elected members. This matter relates to a church in Castlebar in my constituency. The Minister of State may not be able to answer my questions but I ask him to convey my comments to the Minister for Health and Children so that he can clarify the position.
This matter deals with the proposed closure of a church on the grounds of the old St. Mary's Hospital, Castlebar. This church was built in 1870 on the grounds of the old sanatorium for the purposes of providing mass for staff and patients. For the past 30 years this church has been used by the Catholic Church where mass has been attended by the general public. The Church does not own the church or the grounds on which it is built. The church is located directly opposite the new entrance to the accident and emergency unit of Mayo General Hospital. Two years ago the people of the parish of Castlebar raised £30,000 for repairs to the roof of the church. I visited it last Sunday and it is a very fine building.
The Western Health Board has announced that it intends to close the church effective 3 December. The reasons given is that it wants to provide a library in the building for the nurse training school, which will be located in the old psychiatric hospital which also houses the Mayo-Galway Institute. The health board says that this is an executive decision and that it has been taken because of the parking problems outside the main entrance to the hospital, for health and safety reasons and the need for a library.
I do not know who is responsible for this issue and why this decision has been made. I reject the reasons given by the health board. The director of the GMIT has confirmed to me that he has offered the health board space and facilities in his premises for this library and a medical library. There is no need, therefore, to acquire the church for library facilities. It is clear, even to the untrained eye, that the obstructions outside the main entrance to the hospital's accident and emergency unit can be improved without interfering with the church. I do not accept that the health and safety regulations come into play in this case. This has been presented by the Western Health Board as a fait accompli and it has misrepresented the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Michael Neary, and the local parish priest, Canon Curran, by saying agreement was given by the Catholic Church for this closure when it was not. The Archbishop of Tuam and the parish priest have confirmed to me that they want to continue to say mass for the general public in this church.
Under the 1970 Act, health boards took the power from county councils to deal with health matters and health services. The functions of the elected members of the boards, through the county councils, are to provide these services. The Minister should clarify this matter. The closure of the church is a matter for the board members as distinct from the executive members. Every Sunday approximately 200 people attend mass in the church. The majority of them live in St. Patrick's Avenue, Westport Road, Aglish estate, Knockaphunta estate, Manor village and surrounding areas.
The Archbishop of Tuam has been misrepresented and I would like at the meeting on Friday between the chief executive officer of the health board and the members of the health board from County Mayo for the chief executive officer to say that she will arrange a long-term lease for the Catholic Church so that mass can be provided in the church and that the remaining improvements to the accident and emergency unit can be dealt with without any interference to the church. This makes sense and means the Catholic Church will not have to raise funds for a new church, thereby putting a levy on all the new houses in this district over the next five years. Castlebar is a fast growing town and there will be a need for this service in the years ahead.
On the "executive decision" by the board, which has been presented as a fait accompli , the Health Act, 1970, clearly states that the Minister is entitled to distinguish between any dispute which arises. I ask him to give a direction to the chief executive of the health board to arrange for a long-term lease so that the Catholic Church can continue to provide mass for the general public in this beautiful church in the coming years.
It has also been presented that a new ambulance base will be built at the back of the church. However, ambulance drivers have confirmed to me that they have absolutely no objection to the retention of the church and that it does not interfere with access to the hospital in an emergency. Mass takes place on Sunday morning only for a very short period. I ask the Minister to resolve this issue in the interests of the public and the Catholic Church.
