Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2015
568. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the current status of the capital project at Roscommon County Hospital to develop a new central sterile services department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23187/15]
View answerThere is a project underway at Roscommon Hospital to build an endoscopy unit. This project includes a decontamination unit which is adequate to support the needs of the new expanded endoscopy department. The HSE has been requested to provide you with a status report on the project's progress.
Any future investment at Roscommon Hospital must be considered within the overall acute hospital sector infrastructure programme, within the overall capital envelope available to the health service and in the context of the establishment of hospital groups. In 2015, there will be a structured integration of all hospitals in the Saolta University Hospital Group. This will provide further support for all hospitals in delivering high-quality, safe patient care in a cost-effective manner.
There will always be more projects than can be funded by the Exchequer and there is limited funding available for new projects over the next multi-annual period 2015-2019 given the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place. It is essential that all projects, other than those where existing contractual commitments are in place, are assessed on their merits to ensure that the limited capital funding available goes to those developments which address the greatest service need. The HSE is concentrating on applying the limited funding available for infrastructure development in the most effective way possible to meet current and future needs.
If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office who will follow up.
