asked the Minister for Health when the new acute psychiatric unit in Tralee General Hospital, County Kerry, will be opened.
Written Answers. - Tralee Psychiatric Unit.
264.
My Department has agreed to provide the capital funds to equip the psychiatric unit in Tralee on condition that the running costs (pay and non-pay) are transferred from St. Finan's Hospital, Killarney. This unit would replace the 50 bed Admission Unit in St. Finan's Hospital. It was agreed at a meeting in May 1987 that the Southern Health Board would re-examine the requirements to open the unit in Tralee and submit a revised proposal to the Department. However, this information was not submitted until recently and the board has informed my Department that in view of their personnel and budgetary resources at St. Finan's Hospital and Tralee General Hospital it is not possible to open the new unit. I do not accept this view and I have asked my Department to pursue this matter further with the Southern Health Board.