Bernard Allen
Ceist:19 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will give a full guarantee regarding the future of the St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital in Cork city.
Written Answers. - Cork Orthopaedic Hospital.
Peter Barry
Ceist:147 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Health whether there is any basis to the media reports (details supplied) that St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranabraher, Cork was earmarked for closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 147 together.
As the Deputies are aware, the provision and organisation of services at St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranabraher is a matter in the first instance for the Southern Health Board.
The Deputies will be aware that a working group representative of the Southern Health Board, the Mercy Hospital and the South Infirmary/ Victoria Hospital, Cork and the Department of Health was established in 1990, under the chairmanship of Mr. Kevin Kenny, to draw up a plan for the development of hospital services in Cork city and county for the next decade. The Cork Hospitals Review Group's report was received in my Department in January of this year. The report contains a recommendation that, in the long term, consideration be given to the centralisation of orthopaedic services in the Cork Regional Hospital campus and that St. Mary's be closed as an orthopaedic hospital. The report has been circulated to the Southern Health Board and the two voluntary hospitals in Cork for their views on its contents.
The Deputies will also wish to know that approval was given to the Southern Health Board by my Department last year to provide new clean air facilities at St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Gurranabraher. A project team has been established and the planning process is underway. It is anticipated that work on the project will start later this year.