Vol. 560 No. 1
628 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress which has been made to date on the setting up of a national rehabilitation centre in Cork in partnership with RehabCare; and when he expects the centre to be completed and ready to provide a service for the entire greater Munster region. [1135/03]
The development of rehabilitation services for people with physical and sensory disabilities is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards in the first instance.
My Department approved the establishment of a project team to plan this development and this team has been working on the preparation of the brief to include a 50-bed acute rehabilitation unit as part of the hospital. The project brief has been submitted to my Department and is being considered.
The Southern Health Board is also currently working on developing a rehabilitation strategy for Cork and Kerry and anticipates an ongoing close working relationship with a range of voluntary providers at local level.
