Vol. 417 No. 7
102 Mr. Cullimore asked the Minister for Health if he will consider sanctioning a part of the old Wexford General Hospital building for the provision of an old folks' nursing home; if he will give a date for the opening of the new hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Responsibility for providing services for the elderly in Wexford town and surrounding areas lies with the South-Eastern Health Board.
The South-Eastern Health Board are currently considering a plan to develop services for the elderly as recommended by the report of the Working Party on Services for the Elderly, The Years Ahead — A Policy for the Elderly. I understand that a special board meeting has been arranged for 26 March at which the plan will be discussed in detail.
At present, there are 255 long stay places available for the elderly of County Wexford in New Ross and in St. John's Hospital, Enniscorthy. In addition, there are 266 places in private nursing homes, of which 42 are subvented by the health board and ten sheltered housing places. According to the draft plan, there is an over supply of long stay accommodation for the elderly in the county. Accordingly, it is not proposed at this stage to open additional nursing beds in the old Wexford General Hospital although in the longer term there are proposals to provide long stay accommodation in Wexford town in the context of a rationalisation of such accommodation in the county generally.
Work on the commissioning of the new Wexford General Hospital is almost complete and I understand from the South-Eastern Health Board that it is hoped to open the new facilities in the near future.
