asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a proposal from the management of the Southern Health Board to locate maternity services for the Cork region on the site of the Erinville ear, nose and throat complex which involved capital investment while adequate facilities with ancillary services are available at the existing St. Finbarr's Hospital, which, if continued would mean one less hospital for the board to administer; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Maternity Services.
10.
There is agreement in principle that maternity services in Cork should be located on a single campus. The possibility of concentrating facilities on the St. Finbarr's site was examined by a committee representative of the Department and the Southern Health Board. However, the capital cost of that option was considerably greater than developing a maternity service on the Erinville-Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital site. The Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital will be made available to the Southern Health Board following the transfer of ophthalmic services to the Cork Regional Hospital which is taking place at present.
Is the Minister sufficiently informed when he states that representatives of his Department and the management of the Southern Health Board have considered this matter when, in fact, it was stated at a health board meeting that this move was initiated by the management of the Southern Health Board? We were told in the Bantry and Mallow areas that all the accommodation would be provided in St. Finbarr's Hospital where there are 75 beds and all the ancillary services, for example, the blood bank, laundry facilities and so on. We were told that it was proposed to take over that hospital and to have maternity services there as well as in the Erinville Hospital which is on a different site in the Western Road in Cork and where there are no parking facilities. In the St. Finbarr's Hospital area there is sufficient parking accommodation and all the ancillary services. Would the Minister agree that this change is a wanton waste of public money?
I want to assist the Deputy in eliciting information but he may not make a speech.
I understand that Erinville has been determined by the Southern Health Board and by the obstetrician-gynaecologists as the most suitable location.
In view of the fact that it is necessary for the health board to have his permission if they want to appoint an additional nurse, that in the public and private hospitals in Cork there has been a reduction in the number of births from 8,958 in 1982 to 4,537 up to August 1988 and that 200 of the patients who gave birth in Cork came from Kerry where there are vacant beds, I would ask the Minister to look at the question of expenditure on this proposal which has no support——
Brevity, please, Deputy.
Would the Minister now look at that situation with a view to stalling that project?
I want to bring in Deputy Desmond also.
I want to assure the Deputy that all expenditure is monitored very carefully in my Department. I would reiterate that Erinville has been determined by the Southern Health Board and by the obstetrician-gynaecologists as the most suitable location for the maternity services.
May I ask the Minister if the Southern Health Board, as a whole, have agreed to the proposal that maternity services should be located in a separate single campus and would he agree that his Department, as a matter of organisation of hospital services, in no way shares a policy view of that nature and that maternity services, particularly in the Cork area where there is a surplus of hospitals, should be integrated into the general hospital services rather than having a new duplicate general hospital in the area giving private beds in Erinville when there is already a surplus of private beds for maternity cases in the Bon Secours Hospital? If the Minister endorses that obstetric private view I would be flabbergasted that his Department would agree.
Mr. Sherlock rose.
I have given Deputy Sherlock a lot of latitude on this question. I did ask for brevity.
I thank you a Cheann Comhairle but I am a member of the Southern Health Board——
Please Deputy Sherlock, I asked for a brief question.
At the last meeting of the board the views raised were totally against this project. It does not have——
The Deputy is not asking a question. Question No. 11.