asked the Minister for Health whether he proposes to provide a grant out of the Hospitals Trust Fund for the building of a new Saint Vincent's Hospital; and, if so, when the work of construction will commence.
2.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Hospitals: Building Grants.
1.
asked the Minister for Health whether he proposes to provide a grant out of the Hospitals Trust Fund for the building of a new Richmond Hospital; and, if so, when the work of construction will commence.
3.
asked the Minister for Health whether he proposes to provide a grant out of the Hospitals Trust Fund for the building of a new Coombe Hospital; and, if so, when the work of construction will commence.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take questions numbered 1, 2 and 3 together.
The Deputy will no doubt recall that when speaking on the Vote for my Department last year I adverted to the difficult situation which had developed in relation to the Hospitals Trust Fund and to the fact that as a consequence I had no choice but to defer, as a temporary measure, the undertaking of new building works apart from essential works costing comparatively small amounts.
The three major projects mentioned in the questions were included in the hospital building programme drawn up some years ago. The intention was that these projects would be financed, together with many other schemes included in the programme, from the accumulated reserves in the Hospitals Trust Fund and subsequent annual income from sweepstake sources. Owing to the heavy cost of earlier schemes undertaken under the programme and to the substantial increase in the payments which had to be made on foot of the deficits of the voluntary hospitals, recourse had to be had to Grants-in-Aid from the Exchequer to maintain the solvency of the fund and to ensure that accruing commitments were met. The Deputy is aware of the reasons why the Exchequer grants had to be reduced in 1956 and discontinued subsequently. As a result, it became necessary, as I have just stated, to postpone the undertaking of further building works, in particular those of a major character. I also decided that, before any large scale building activities could be resumed, a reserve should be accumulated in the fund to ensure that any commitments entered into could be discharged if any untoward developments affecting the income from the sweepstakes should take place.
The rate at which an adequate reserve can be built up in the fund depends on many factors and, consequently, it is difficult to forecast when the major projects specified by the Deputy can be undertaken or to decide in what order of priority they will proceed. Another factor which I have to bear in mind is that any one of the major projects would absorb a large proportion of available funds and thus militate against the undertaking of other smaller but essential works.
Whilst the position of the fund is improving, I am not able to say definitely when it will be possible to allow the projects mentioned by the Deputy to proceed. I have the matter under constant review, however, and I shall convey my decision at the earliest possible date to the appropriate authorities.
Would the Minister state whether or not it is a fact that in the recent National Loan £1,250,000 of Hospitals Trust Funds was invested? If that is correct, would the Minister not agree that such a sum would have been sufficient to finance the building of the new St. Vincent's Hospital which was due to commence in the month of February, 1958, and in respect of which the site development has been completed and all arrangements made for the commencement of the actual building?
I am not responsible for investments made from the Hospitals Trust Fund, but I understand that that particular investment was for a particularly short time and that the money is in fact not now available.
Because it is in the National Loan?
No, it is not in the National Loan—at least, I think not. If the Deputy wants information on that point, he should put down a question.
I am perfectly in order, and it is not for the Minister so to decide. This is a supplementary question. Further arising out of the Minister's reply, is it not correct that the yearly income of the Hospitals Trust Fund is now running at the rate of £2,500,000? Would the Minister explain why, with such an income and with an accumulated reserve of over £1,000,000, he has not proceeded with the building programme which was available to him when he took office and which would help now to relieve the serious unemployment problem in the city at the moment?
Again, I wish to say that, if the Deputy wants information about the position of the Hospitals Trust Fund, he should have put down a question; and, if he wants information about investments made from the fund, he could have put down another question. I also want to say that the fund is not yet out of the red in which the Deputy left it.
What about the Tánaiste's £100,000,000? We heard all about that not so long ago.