Seamus Kirk
Question:281 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Health and Children his Department's plans for development of the Louth County Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13604/01]
Written Answers - Hospitals Building Programme.
The development of Louth County Hospital is a matter for the North-Eastern Health Board. Louth County Hospital is part of the Louth Meath hospital group which also includes Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and Our Lady's Hospital, Navan.
Under the national development plan, funding of £160 million has been notified to the North-Eastern Health Board which will enable substantial improvements to be made to physical infrastructures in both the board's acute and non-acute health sectors. The Deputy will, of course, appreciate that it is a matter for the board to prioritise its capital development projects within the NDP funding indicated to it and in the context of the prioritisation of its service requirements.
I am informed by the board that it has established a steering group to oversee and prioritise capital development proposals at all of its acute hospital sites. The steering group is being advised by a project team responsible for the planning and development of services in the board's functional area for the Louth Meath hospital group. The project team has drawn up development proposals for the group hospitals, including the Louth County Hospital site. The proposals will be considered by the steering group at its next meeting which is scheduled to take place later this month.