Vol. 560 No. 1
592 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the contacts between him and his Department's officials with the three person expert group who examined the blood transfusion services in Cork and Dublin and who published their report in 2002. [27052/02]
Officials of my Department met members of the expert group at their request on a number of occasions. I also had a meeting with the group at its request. During the course of the group's work, correspondence was exchanged in response to questions raised by members of the group and other relevant issues. Neither I nor my officials have met or corresponded with members of the expert group since the presentation of its report to the board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service on 11 September 2002.
593 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children when he will sanction the commencement of work on the new Irish Blood Transfusion Service centre in Cork as set out in the expert report published in 2002. [27053/02]
I understand that the report referred to by the Deputy is still under consideration by the board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, IBTS, and has not yet been formally submitted to me. Until then, I am not in a position to comment on one of its recommendations. However, I have been informed by the IBTS that the project team is nearing completion of the design brief for the new Cork centre and is expected to finalise the site option appraisal shortly afterwards. The brief will then be submitted to the board for consideration in the first instance.
