asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the development of hospital and out-patient services in Dungarvan, County Waterford.
Written Answers. - Dungarvan Hospital Services.
76.
The provision of hospital and out-patient services in Dungarvan is primarily a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board. Existing in-patient services in Dungarvan include a 34-bed district hospital—which includes four maternity beds—a 140-bed geriatric hospital and a 40-bed welfare home. Out-patient clinics at present provided in Dungarvan include developmental paediatric, child welfare, child guidance, vaccinations, immunisations, speech therapy, dental, ophthalmic, radiography, audiology, infectious diseases, physiotherapy, chiropody, psychiatric and blood pressure services.
People from the Dungarvan area are provided with acute general hospital and acute psychiatric services at both in-patient and out-patient level in the Regional Hospital, Ardkeen, Waterford.
Plans for the provision of 100 replacement beds at the geriatric hospital, Dungarvan, and for major developments at Ardkeen Hospital are at an advanced stage. No provision has been made in the current year's capital allocation to permit of these schemes proceeding this year. I am keeping the matter under review with a view to allowing building to proceed as soon as circumstances permit.