Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Oct 2001

Vol. 543 No. 1

Written Answers. - Hospitals Building Programme.

John Bruton

Question:

38 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children when he received a request for approval to initiate a process for the selection of design teams for capital works for the development of acute hospital services in the North-Eastern Health Board Area; when he approved this; when the draft briefs for the design teams in question were submitted for approval to his Department; if the brief has yet been approved by his Department; if not, the reason therefor; when he expects the design teams for the relevant works to be approved; and his views on whether the delay in moving forward with this project is consistent with the time-frame set in the national development plan for works of this nature. [21056/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

A request was made by the North-Eastern Health Board in June 2000 to commence the process of selecting design teams for a number of capital projects to develop the five acute hospital sites within its area.

Specifically, approval was sought to publish a prior indicative notice – PIN – in the Official Journal of the EU, as required by Government rules on public procurement. This was agreed by officials of my Department on 19 July 2000 subject to the understanding that completing the pro cess of design team selection and appointment would require prior agreement of the final design briefs for the various projects being considered by the North-Eastern Health Board.

The board has not yet submitted final design briefs to my Department for approval. I understand that the board is currently reviewing its assessment of needs, and the proposed functional content of the five projects, with a view to revising the draft briefs for the consideration and agreement of the relevant project teams and the overall steering group. My Department will deal promptly with any request from the board for formal approval of considered and completed design briefs. It is a matter now for the North-Eastern Health Board to confirm its programme for completion of this stage of the project development, and to propose a timetable for further stages, including the appointment of design teams.

I should point out that separate proposals for design team selection and appointment have been received from the North-Eastern Health Board since August of this year, in respect of priority projects of limited scope to deal with immediate problems in specific areas on each of the five hospital sites. Officials of my Department have agreed each of these proposals in principle, subject to detailed conditions, in order to expedite progress of necessary work in these hospitals.

In the circumstances, I am satisfied that in fulfilling it's obligations in relation to the planning of these projects, my Department has assisted the board to progress these proposals as quickly as possible. I am confident that the work that has been undertaken to date will form the basis to make significant progress in the future.