Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 May 2004
100 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children , in regard to his announcement of July 2002, the number of the promised 850 community nursing units now available; the hospitals in which they are available; the number in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15607/04]
View answerThe 850 additional beds which I announced in July 2002 were for community nursing units to be provided under two pilot public private partnerships, PPP, projects in 17 locations throughout the Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, and Southern Health Board, SHB, areas.
The ERHA will be providing nine 50-bed community nursing units, three in each of the area health boards. The locations are as follows: Clonskeagh Hospital, Newcastle Hospital and Tivoli Road, Dún Laoghaire in the East Coast Area Health Board; St. Joseph's Hospital, Raheny, St. Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park and Swords in the Northern Area Health Board and St. Brigid's Hospital, Crooksling, Bru Chaoimhin, Cork Street, and Cherry Orchard in the South Western Area Health Board.
The Southern Health Board proposes to develop eight 50-bed CNUs in the following locations: St. Finbarr's, Farranlea Road, and Ballincollig in the Cork south Lee area; St. Stephen's Hospital, Glanmire, and St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranbraher, in the Cork north Lee area; Mount Alvernia Hospital, Mallow, in the north Cork area; Bantry in the west Cork area and Ballyard, Tralee, in Kerry.
These additional beds are currently not available as the process of providing services under a PPP arrangement requires the health board/authority to comply with the EU procurement legislation and national guidelines on PPPs.
A public sector benchmark has been prepared and finalised by the ERHA. This is a comprehensive and detailed risk adjusted costing of the project elements using conventional procurement over the whole life of the project. The ERHA public sector benchmark was submitted to the Department of Finance for consideration and my Department is currently in consultation with the Department of Finance about the project. The SHB is finalising its public sector benchmark which will be submitted to the Department of Finance for consideration shortly. On approval, contract notices will be advertised by each of the awarding authorities in the Official Journal of the European Union.
