asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the South-East Regional Health Board has passed a resolution to rent office accommodation in Kilkenny town at a yearly rental of £5,000; that such facility is available, without such expense, in Waterford city; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - South-East Regional Health Board.
6.
I understand that the yearly rental which the board has offered in respect of the office accommodation in question is lower than that mentioned by the Deputy. I am advised that the rental is not unreasonable having regard to prevailing rates in the area. I am also advised that accommodation in Waterford would not be available without expense, but, on the contrary, would involve substantial expenditure on renovation. In these circumstances and having regard to the fact that the health board wish to have Kilkenny as their headquarters I raised no objection to their proposal.
I do not accept the Minister's reply. This is a disgraceful waste of public funds.
Has the Deputy a question?
I have a question. I am forming it in my own way. It is a disgraceful waste of public money——
The Deputy may not make a speech or tell the Chair how he will put his query. The Deputy should put a question.
Surely I am allowed to preface the question with a sentence or two?
Is the Minister aware that it is a disgrace to expend public moneys in this manner? There is a commitment of £5,000 a year on the rent of offices alone which could be used better in the medical sphere, especially when suitable office accommodation is available in Waterford. I would ask the Minister to reconsider the matter.
If the Deputy had read the Health Act he would know that it was the decision of the health board as to where the headquarters of the health board are to be and only if they could not agree would I, as Minister, or the Minister for Health of the day, make the final decision. Therefore I could interfere only if, in regard to budgeting procedure and the general state of the budget for the health board, the cost of placing the health board centre in an area was so excessive as to warrant my interference. That is the position and the Deputy is absolutely wrong. The cost of the accommodation in Waterford would be grossly excessive as compared with the annual rental cost of the Kilkenny headquarters related to the total expenditure and revenue of the South Eastern Health Board area. That is the position and I have no intention of interfering with the headquarters. I have not interfered anywhere else and would only do so if the financial question was such that I would regard the expenditure, capital and current, as something that would have a real bearing on the budget and on the general financial attitude of the health board in question.
It is all right for the Minister to make a long speech at Question Time.
Question No. 7.
This is a disgraceful waste of public money.
May I take it from what the Minister has said that his authority would be required by a health authority to borrow money for the purpose of providing headquarters for itself?
Yes.
The Minister mentioned the alternative in Waterford. Has the Minister got the figure of what it would cost the health board——
No, I have only a very approximate figure. I do not propose to give it. The House will have to take it from me that it is——
I want to clarify the point because the inference in the question is a reflection on the members of the health board. Is the Minister aware that the health board have fully considered this position and have decided that Kilkenny is the centre and also that the premises in Kilkenny are first-class and very reasonable at the rental quoted?
I am aware that the health board made a democratic decision. In almost every case, not in certain cases but in the case of a number of health boards, there were people, naturally, on the health board who were disappointed that a particular locality was not chosen. There is nothing I can do about that. It was bound to emerge.
Is it not true that the rental compares very favourably with rentals for similar types of premises?
There is nothing excessive about the rental.
A disgraceful waste of money.