Vol. 562 No. 6
91 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in regard to his announcement of 29 July 2002, the number of the promised 850 hospital beds under the proposed public private partnership which are now available; the hospitals in which they are available; the number in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6657/03]
The 850 additional community nursing unit, CNU, beds which I announced in July 2002 under the pilot public private partnership, PPP, will be provided in 17 new sites in the Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, and Southern Health Board, SHB, areas.
The ERHA proposes to develop nine CNUs, three in each of the area health boards. The proposed sites are in the following locations: Clonskeagh Hospital, Newcastle Hospital, County Wicklow, and Tivoli Road, Dún Laoghaire in the East Coast Area Health Board; St. Joseph's Hospital, Raheny, St. Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park and Verville, Vernon Ave, Clontarf, in the Northern Area Health Board; and St. Brigid's Crooksling, Brú Chaoimhín, Cork Street, and Cherry Orchard Hospital in the South Western Area Health Board.
The Southern Health Board proposes to develop eight CNUs in the following locations: Cork city community services area – two in North Lee and three in the South Lee and one in each of the following community service areas – west Cork, Bantry; north Cork, Mallow-Charleville area; and Kerry, Tralee.
These additional beds are currently not available, 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 have advertised in the Official Journal of the European Community, OJEC, for business advisers to assist them in the delivery of this service and are currently in the process of selection and approval of the preferred bidders. The next stage will be to advertise in the OJEC for a consortium to design, build, finance and partially operate the facilities.
