Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Mar 1993

Vol. 427 No. 7

Written Answers. - Dublin Hospitals' Policy.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

53 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health the action, if any, he intends to take to protect the public in view of reports that extraordinary powers have been assumed by a company (details supplied) in relation to six major Dublin hospitals.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I understand that the Charity/Mercy Healthcare Company Limited was established by the Charity and Mercy Congregations in 1991 to determine, manage, and control overall policies and to act as an administrative, co-ordinating and supervisory body for the following six hospitals which the Orders own in the Dublin area: St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh; The National Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Dún Laoghaire; St. Michael's Hospital, Dún Laoghaire; The Children's Hospital, Temple Street; Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street and St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park. As Minister for Health, my principal objective is to ensure that any mechanism for improving co-operation between these institutions would enable them to deliver patient care in an effective and efficient a manner as possible.

Furthermore, I feel that any savings which might accrue from a more co-ordinated management structure should be used for the provision of better patient care. Similarly, I would consider that the elimination of any unnecessary duplication of resources identified by the co-ordinating body for the six hospitals will help to ensure that the financial allocations which my Department makes for the provision of health care by those hospitals are used in the most beneficial way.

In common with all independent voluntary hospitals in the Dublin area and elsewhere which rely on public funding, the Charity/Mercy Healthcare Company have confirmed to my Department that it is their intention to continue to deliver and organise the services provided in the six hospitals within the parameters of public policy on hospital services as set down by my Department. My responsibility as Minister for Health is to ensure, given the substantial public funding provided to the six hospitals, that the existing conditions of employment of all staff employed by the hospital will be fully protected and that the policies of Comhairle na nOspidéal and other relevant statutory agencies will be adhered to. My Department has held discussions with the Company on its Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association and I have been assured that, in exercising any powers relating to the organisation of services in Dublin, Government policy will prevail. Furthermore, I have been assured by the Charity/Mercy Healthcare Company that there is absolutely no question of the closure of any of the six hospitals or part of the hospitals involved.