Vol. 561 No. 1
142 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of the promised 850 hospital beds under the proposed public private partnership which were available by the end of 2002, in regard to his announcement of 29 July 2002; the number now available; the hospitals in which they are available; the number in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3428/03]
The 850 additional community nursing unit beds which was 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 2003, as the process of providing services under a PPP arrangement requires the health board-authority to abide by EU procurement legislation for projects of this size. The health board-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.
