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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 6 May 1982

Vol. 334 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - St. Brendan's Hospital, Dublin.

11.

asked the Minister for Health whether he is aware of the need for substantial investment of resources in St. Brendan's Hospital, Grangegorman, Dublin 7; if he is aware of the anxieties and concern expressed by hospital staff and others; and the action he has taken and intends to take about this matter.

I have been aware for some time of the need to review the position of St. Brendan's Hospital, Grangegorman. In March 1981, I established a project team with the agreement of the Eastern Health Board, comprised of officers of my Department and the board, to examine the whole question of the future of St. Brendan's Hospital. The final report of the project team will be presented to the Eastern Health Board on 6 May.

My Department and I will, on receipt, examine the report in detail. Discussions will be held with the Eastern Health Board on the report's recommendations at an early date.

One might be forgiven for thinking that the whole country is in a state of constant deliberation. What is the scope of this document, and specifically, what action does the Minister intend to take, regardless of the recommendations therein, about the present intolerable conditions for staff and patients, some of whom as the Minister knows, have to lie on beds in halls and rooms which are Dickensian? I recall the Minister visited the hospital at one stage and I know he has a lot of interest in it, so I would appreciate if he would tell the House what he is going to do about it.

The Deputy mentioned constant deliberations, that is because I am tackling priority problems and I know, from what Deputies have said in the House, that they are urgent. This problem needed short-term measures, some of which were taken. We received a short-term report and that enabled some of the changes to be made within the existing hospital. This included heating and some other things and they were done last year immediately following an initial report. The major report related to the whole question of the future of the hospital and its function in relation to the development of community services in the area. The report is due today so I hope to be able to study it in the very near future. I intend to find some means of dealing with what may be very major requirements which will arise from the report.

If the major report is to deal with the future of the hospital that implies that the Minister might be considering whether to relocate it. It presumably will not be very helpful to the Minister in relation to the kind of structure and infrastructural needs of the hospital. Is the Minister satisfied with present conditions in the hospital and, in the knowledge of those conditions, would he say, regardless of the report, what he is going to do about it?

Further money — I do not know the exact amount — was provided this year for structural improvements in the hospital. The more general question is one of major steps which need to be taken and, to take those steps, one must have an idea of the final needs of the hospital. That is why the working party were set up, to get agreement on this whole question. This does not necessarily mean putting it on the long finger but any steps taken in between will help to complete the overall picture.

When will the steps be taken?

I am very anxious to see the report which will, apparently, be coming into the Department today. I will take these steps as soon as possible.

Within weeks?

We will have the report examined immediately and see what action can be taken.

When will the Minister take the steps he said were necessary?

We have already taken some of these steps.

The Minister agrees that steps need to be taken. How long will that take? Will the Minister answer me in as precise a form as possible because expressions like "as soon as possible" or "at the earliest possible opportunity" are not very helpful in that context?

If I knew what the steps were it would be easier to give the Deputy some idea of how long it will take. At this stage I can only say as urgently as possible because it is a question of what the scale of the various steps will be. I intend to have a programme initiated almost immediately.

I hope they are giant steps and that they will be taken very quickly.

Questions Nos. 12 and 13 are for written reply.

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