Vol. 445 No. 9
226 Mr. O'Leary asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange for the Southern Health Board to provide further facilities to enable a larger number of long-stay patients to be maintained in Kenmare District Hospital, Country Kerry, on social grounds and in order to enable relatives to visit them on a regular basis rather than travelling to Killarney. [1518/94]
The Southern Health Board inform me that Kenmare District Hospital, which serves a catchment area of approximately 6,000 people, has a complement of 26 beds.
Some recent developments in Kenmare District Hospital include the provision of two day rooms, which were provided by the Friends of Kenmare District Hospital at a cost of £25,000 which was obtained through local fund raising. The Kerry Hospice Foundation has also donated funds to upgrade one of the bedrooms in the hospital for very ill patients. The Southern Health Board are satisfied that the existing facilities at Kenmare District Hospital are being fully utilised. The question of the provision of long-stay accommodation in Kenmare will be considered in the context of the board's development plan for community hospitals which is presently being formulated.
