asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware that the West Cork Board of Health and Public Assistance have been informed by their assistant county medical officer of health that it is proposed to cancel the registration of the County Infirmary, Clonakilty, as a maternity home on the grounds that the building is unsuitable for the purposes of a maternity home; if he will state whether the passages in the report of the medical officer dealing with the lack of sanitation and other conveniences in this building were brought to his notice; and also, if he will state whether he is now in a position to consider further the representations previously made to him regarding the reconstruction of the county infirmary; and, if so, whether he is prepared to make a grant from the Hospitals Sweepstake funds for that purpose.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Infirmary, Clonakilty.
Information as regards the report referred to in the first part of the question has not yet been received in my Department. As regards the latter part of the question the reply is in the negative.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the conditions set out in the question? Is he aware that for all practical purposes the county infirmary must be closed immediately if conditions are not remedied, and will he look into this matter again when the report reaches him?
There is no immediate likelihood of any alteration of policy in relation to that. On the 7th April last Deputy O'Neill, in reply to a question, was informed that
"having regard to the extent of the commitments of the Hospitals' Trust Fund in respect of hospital works, an application for a grant from the fund could not be entertained towards the cost of proposed improvements to the Infirmary of the County Home, Clonakilty."
The position has not changed since.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary indicate any way in which the position can be changed?
Not at the moment.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that conditions obtain there whereby lavatory accommodation is common both to the patients in the maternity portion of the institution and to people afflicted with cancer and tuberculosis in an adjoining ward?
I have not had any report of that.
I ask the Parliamentary Secretary very earnestly to look into that matter.