Vol. 557 No. 6
34 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children in regard to his announcement of 29 July 2002, the number of the promised 850 hospital beds under the proposed public private partnership now available; the number which will be available by the end of 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22922/02]
The 850 additional community nursing unit beds which I announced last July under the pilot public private partnership, PPP will be provided in 17 new sites in the Eastern Regional Health Authority and Southern Health Board areas. These additional beds will not be available by the end of 2002, as the process of providing services under a PPP arrangement requires the health board or authority to abide by EU procurement legislation for projects of this size. The health board or authority has advertised in the Official Journal of the European Community for business advisers to assist them in progressing these pilot projects following which, it is hoped, the detailed contracts will be drawn up and subsequent construction of the units will commence.
