Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Mar 1993

Vol. 427 No. 7

Written Answers. - Epilepsy Surgery Programme.

Desmond J. O'Malley

Ceist:

43 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the telemetry monitoring in Beaumont Hospital; if he will confirm that all the funding for the Telemetry Monitoring Department is provided by the Irish Epilepsy Association; and if he has satisfied himself that the service is sufficient to meet the demand for this essential service.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

Telemetry monitoring is a part of the epilepsy surgery programme as well as part of the diagnostic service for epilepsy at Beaumont Hospital. This service is provided to both adults and children at the Hospital. Until very recently, it was the only hospital providing a telemetry monitoring service in the Republic of Ireland (a service is also now available in Cork).

While some funding for this service is provided by the Irish Epilepsy Association, further funds are provided by both Beaumont Hospital and the Richmond Brain Research Foundation.

The provision of additional funding for the epilepsy surgery programme will be one of the areas for discussion between my Department and Beaumont Hospital in the context of its 1993 allocation, with particular reference to the hospital's many competing demands for resources and its priorities for new developments.