asked the Minister for Health whether any hospital units are not workable due to non-appointment of qualified staff; if so, the location, type and size of each such unit; and if he will give details of the length of time any have remained closed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Staffing.
16.
Inquiries have been made from health boards and from the larger voluntary hospitals in relation to the Deputy's question. The following is the information obtained.
The opening of a new six-bed paediatric unit in Tralee County Hospital has been deferred since February 1980 pending the appointment of additional non-consultant medical staff. It is expected that this matter will be resolved shortly.
A 14-bed paediatric unit in St. John's Hospital, Limerick, has not been in operation since the retirement of the pacdiatrician in 1977. In November 1979 Comhairle na nOspidéal approved of the replacement of the paediatrician and the post has been referred to the Local Appointment Commissioners.
Would the Minister not agree that it is nothing short of scandalous that a 14-bed paediatric unit should remain closed for three years because of the failure of the comhairle to appoint suitable personnel to man that unit, apart from the most recent one in Tralee?
I can only say that the comhairle approved a replacement. Having approved of it, the matter has been referred to the Local Appointments Commissioners. Comhairle approval was in November 1979. It was a joint appointment with Barringtons Hospital in the Mid-Western Health Board area. As the Deputy will be aware, these joint appointments have been the subject of considerable debate and discussion between all the parties concerned. The appointment was eventually agreed as a joint appointment in that instance and has been advertised.
I am not sure if the Minister is endeavouring to defend the decision but surely the Minister must agree——
A question.
——that delays of three years in the filling of vacancies are unacceptable for whatever reason. Is the Minister unaware that the delays occasioned by comhairle's review and the slowness of the Local Appointments Commission in filling vacancies such as this are resulting in a lessening of the services in many parts of the country especially in this area?
The comhairle is a statutory body charged with the responsibility of making serious and difficult decisions in this area and the Deputy is aware of that.
Three years later.
The question of the allocation of specialists and consultants is a very controversial one in some instances and they have to be sorted out between the parties involved and that can take time.
A final supplementary.
The Chair should be interested in this because he is also chairman of the Local Appointments Commission. I asked the Minister whether he was aware of the delays that were taking place between the time the comhairle takes to make a recommendation and the time the Local Appointments Commission take to fill the vacancy. Perhaps in relation to Tralee, for instance, the Minister could explain where the delays rest, with the comhairle, the LAC or with neither?
Since February last the South Eastern Health Board said that the new six-bed paediatric unit in Tralee County Hospital was ready.
I do not know what they were doing about it.
Because they did not get approval from the Department they claimed for the appointment of three additional house officers. It is complicated in that very large expenses and expenditure is involved and it is not just a question of an individual. There is a question of the number of additional people requested. These requests have to be examined and discussed and once agreed it is then a matter for the Local Appointment Commission.
Question No. 17.
(Interruptions.)
Why would the South Eastern Health Board——
Question No. 17.
Surely the information the Minister is giving is not accurate. The South Eastern Health Board cannot have anything to do with Tralee.
I beg the Deputy's pardon, the Southern Health Board.
Will the Minister please read the next answer?