Seán Kenny
Ceist:549 Mr. S. Kenny asked the Minister for Health when the psychiatric wing of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, will be opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Hospital Psychiatric Wing.
Agreement has recently been reached between the Beaumont Hospital Board, the Eastern Health Board, Comhairle na nOspidéal and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland on the provision of an acute in-patient service for the mentally ill, a liaison psychiatry service and an academic department of psychiatry to be based at Beaumont Hospital.
The hospital and the Eastern Health Board are currently preparing proposals to enable the unit to open. Discussions will shortly take place between the parties involved to resolve issues related to staffing and accommodation requirements necessary for the acute unit to become operational. I am optimistic that there will be a positive outcome to those discussions and it is my hope that the acute psychiatric unit will open this year.