Vol. 563 No. 5
206 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason capital allocations have not yet been made to health boards; if his attention has been drawn to the situation in Ballymun, Dublin 11, where a new health centre and health board offices have been completed but are awaiting fit-out; and if he will approve the allocation of this funding given that further delay in this project will result in substantial additional costs. [8505/03]
My Department is conducting a mid-term national review of the health national development plan. When that review is completed, meetings with individual health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority will be arranged to review their programmes, plans and priorities for 2003 and for the remaining years of the national development plan up to 2006.
In this context the project specified by the Deputy is being examined by my Department which is awaiting information from the ERHA to allow this examination to be progressed.
207 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the total cost to date, including transport costs, of patients referred outside the jurisdiction for various surgical or medical treatments since the inception of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8518/03]
The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department. Therefore, my Department has asked the chief executive officers of the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the chief executive of the national treatment purchase fund to communicate directly with the Deputy in the matter.
