Richard Bruton
Ceist:4 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the capital allocation in 1992 that would be necessary for the construction work on Tallaght Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Tallaght (Dublin) Hospital.
Mervyn Taylor
Ceist:16 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the present status of the Tallaght Hospital project indicating if it is intended to proceed further with this project and if so when; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:52 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the current position with regard to Tallaght Hospital; if a commencement date has yet been decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Mervyn Taylor
Ceist:83 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the Government's revised plans to build the proposed new hospital in Tallaght, Dublin 24; the proposed starting date and the total estimated cost of this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 4, 16, 52 and 83 together.
The Deputies will be aware that the Tallaght Hospital project, costing an estimated £118 million, is the largest health capital project ever proposed in this country. I have previously informed the Deputies that the construction period involved is about four years, following which a further period of about 18 months would be required for commissioning. It is estimated that £5 million would be required in the first year of construction of the project, the remaining cost falling to be met in the subsequent four and a half years.
In relation to the commencement of work on this project, the position is that the total capital allocation available to my Department for 1991 did not allow for the commencement of the Tallaght project in 1991. However, as I have indicated on several occasions, I will be considering the development of the Tallaght Hospital project in the context of the capital resources available to my Department in 1992 and subsequent years.