As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the provision of health services in the Roscommon area rests with the Western Health Board in the first instance. The board has advised my Department that a sum of €0.7 million has been allocated in the board's 2004 service plan for the opening of the palliative care facility in the Plunkett Home in Boyle. The board has also conducted a review of staffing levels and patient ratios at the Plunkett Home and as a result of this review, ongoing discussions are being held with staff and the unions in relation to the numbers and skill mix of staff that will be required for the service in the long term, inclusive of the palliative care facility. The board is committed to opening the palliative care facility as planned but, in doing so, it must ensure that there is adequate staffing to provide a safe and quality service.