Vol. 562 No. 6
3 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will carry out an investigation into the sale of Our Lady's Hospital and 60 acres of land by the Mid-Western Health Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6831/03]
Under the Health (Amendment) (No 3) Act 1996 the Minister for Health and Children no longer has a statutory role in the acquisition or disposal of property by health boards. This function is now a reserved function of each health board. I am informed by the Mid-Western Health Board that the sale referred to by the Deputy was approved at a meeting of the board held in September 1998. The property, comprising of Our Lady's Psychiatric Hospital and adjoining lands, was sold by the board to Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited for a consideration of £2.44 million and a property of approximately six acres in Killaloe, County Clare. Contracts between the parties were signed in December 1998, following which £2.44 million was lodged by the purchaser with a bank.
I am further informed by the health board that in September 1997, the Land Valuation Office valued the property in the region of £2.5 million, excluding the church, an area for respond housing and an area retained by the board. It appears that the proceeds of the disposal of Our Lady's Hospital and lands were in line with that valuation. I understand that the proceeds of the sale have since been re-invested by the Mid-Western Health Board in developing the Clare mental health services, which have been improved significantly in recent years.
The mental health services now emerging in County Clare can be regarded as being on a par with, if not better than, those available elsewhere. The new acute psychiatric unit at Ennis General Hospital opened in December 2001. Built at a cost of €5.7 million, the unit provides acute psychiatric in-patient services for the Clare region in a modern, state-of-the-art facility. With the closure of Our Lady's Hospital, alternative facilities for 180 long-stay patients have been provided by the health board at the refurbished Cappahard Nursing Home, at Spanish Point and at the Orchard High Support Hostel in Kilrush. Community based services in Clare have been further enhanced in the past year through the employment of additional nursing and medical staff and the development of home based and intervention models of care. A new day centre opened in Scarriff in January 2002.
Additional information.
The closure and sale of Our Lady's Hospital, Ennis, the location of a new psychiatric unit on the grounds of the acute hospital and the development of a range of alternative community facilities was fully in keeping with national policy on the development of mental health services. It was also in line with the Mid-Western Health Board's plan for the development of its mental health services, A Better Way.
Does the Minister agree that the sale of Our Lady's Hospital and 60 acres of prime development land was the sale of the century? This hospital was built in the 1840s at a cost of £32,000 and the health board has thrown it away for a mere £2.44 million.
Has the Deputy a question?
I have asked the Minister if he agrees with me. Does the Minister agree with me?
There is a long-standing rule in the House that forbids Members from making a statement by asking the Minister to agree with him or her. That is not a question.
As the Ceann Comhairle is, like myself, an Independent and impartial Member, I invite him to join the Technical Group. I do not mean this as an insult to you, a Cheann Comhairle.
The Chair is totally impartial.
Does the Minister agree that the hospital could have housed the entire administration in Clare in the form of a one-stop-shop?
I will respond to the Deputy if he stops talking and allows me to.
I know the Minister would like to shut me up. When I say something he does not like he wants to stop me. How can we expect a proper health service in Clare if this type of thing is allowed to continue? Health offices in Clare are springing up like mushrooms in a field – one never knows where one will find one next. Will the Minister guarantee a first class health service for the people of County Clare? Will the Minister agree to the upgrading of Ennis General Hospital and open the Alzheimer's unit in St. Joseph's Hospital? Will the Minister provide an air ambulance service for west Clare? Will he ensure we have a maternity service so expectant mothers do not have to travel through the gridlock of Limerick or Ennis to reach the regional maternity hospital? Young mothers' lives are at risk because of the actions of this health board.
The Deputy should allow the Minister to reply.
When the Minister, Deputy Martin, came to County Clare two years ago he announced the allocation of £15 million for the upgrading of the hospital. Where is the £15 million? The Minister gave a reply last week that was not accurate. However, I will be back to him.
The Deputy—
While I must praise the Minister I must also criticise him. The Minister is not getting the money from the Exchequer and while he is doing his best with what he gets is the money being spent wisely by the Mid-Western Health Board in Clare? Can the Minister stand over what is happening and the sale of Our Lady's Hospital? Is patient care being neglected? I believe it is. Those are the questions that should be addressed. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for letting me say what had to be said.
Unfortunately, there is no time for the Minister to respond.
I should reply, a Cheann Chomhairle.
Only 25 seconds remain. I have to be fair to other Deputies.
The sale of Our Lady's psychiatric hospital was done on a valuation basis and the health board got good value and a good return for that money. The psychiatric support services in Clare are on a par with, if not better than, those of any other county. The Orchard in Kilrush high support hostel has 40 places—
The time for this question has concluded. I appeal to Deputies to use Question Time to the maximum benefit. They should allow the Minister to reply to the question and, hopefully, there will be time for a second supplementary question. If Deputies use five minutes to ask a range of questions interspersed with statements, there is no time to reply and it makes a mockery of Question Time.
