Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 1996

Vol. 469 No. 6

Written Answers. - Hospice Funding.

John Ellis

Ceist:

101 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the processing of a submission for £115,000 capital funding, made to the International Fund for Ireland by the North-West Hospice, has been fully halted for six months while the International Fund for Ireland awaits a clarification requested from his Department and/or the North-Western Health Board as to its future plans for the development of residential hospice services for people with advanced cancer in the area; and the plans, if any, he has to compensate for this delay. [18018/96]

John Ellis

Ceist:

102 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Health the specific number priority rating given by the North-Western Health Board in its requests to his Department for the 1996 Estimates for development funds or additional Exchequer resources to begin commissioning residential hospice services managed by North-West Hospice; and his response to this request. [18019/96]

John Ellis

Ceist:

103 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Health whether his Department will provide development funds to the North-Western Health Board in 1996 which would enable the commissioning process to begin of a new residential hospice for persons with advanced cancer, which is independently managed by North-West Hospice. [18020/96]

John Ellis

Ceist:

104 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Health whether his Department and the North-Western Health Board have been given a written guarantee by North-West Hospice that it will continue to fund the home care service which it established in 1989; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the State makes a per capita contribution of only 50 pence to hospice services in the current year within the North-West Hospice catchment; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the per capita contribution in Dublin and greater Leinster is £4.66; and if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the per capita contribution for hospice services in the mid west is £2.46 in the current year. [18021/96]

John Ellis

Ceist:

105 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Health the main three priorities for which the North-Western Health Board has sought development funds and additional Exchequer resources in its discussions with his Department on the 1997 Estimates. [18022/96]

Pat the Cope Gallagher

Ceist:

106 Mr. Gallagher (Donegal South-West) asked the Minister for Health the specific number in priority rating given by the North-Western Health Board in its discussions with his Department to seek development funds and additional Exchequer resources in the 1997 Estimates towards full commissioning of the residential hospice unit managed by North-West Hospice within the grounds of Sligo General Hospital. [18023/96]

Pat the Cope Gallagher

Ceist:

107 Mr. Gallagher (Donegal South-West) asked the Minister for Health whether he will make provision in the 1997 Estimates for development funds subventions or for additional Exchequer resources to the North-Western Health Board to enable the immediate commissioning, commencing in January 1997, of three to five beds in the residential hospice managed by North-West Hospice within the grounds of Sligo General Hospital. [18024/96]

Pat the Cope Gallagher

Ceist:

109 Mr. Gallagher (Donegal South-West) asked the Minister for Health whether he met with a deputation from North-West Hospice on 15 March 1996, which was told it would receive funding for some beds in its residential hospice unit for people with advanced cancer; whether this deputation was told it would not be kept waiting long for this funding; if such development funding will commence in 1996; and, if not, when such funding will commence. [18026/96]

John Ellis

Ceist:

110 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that several requests by North-West Hospice to the North-Western Health Board for formal meetings to progress issues related to the commissioning of its residential hospice facilities went unanswered in recent months; and if his Department was consulted with in relation to this matter or if it consulted with the health board. [18027/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 101-107, inclusive, and Nos. 109 and 110 together. The question of funding for the North-West Hospice is a matter for the North-Western Health Board in the first instance. The board has identified the provision of funding in this regard as a priority in terms of funding available for the provision and development of hospice services. The board is fully committed to hospice care in the region and has committed funding on a yearly basis to the North-West Hospice group, in addition to the provision of hospice beds and support facilities at the board's community hospitals, as well as the provision of staff training. It is essential that partnership and co-operation between statutory agencies and voluntary bodies working in this area should be encouraged so as to ensure that services for the terminally ill can be provided in a planned and structured fashion. I have been advised by the board that its officials meet representatives of the North-West Hospice on a regular basis. A request from the hospice group for a meeting with the board's standing committees is on the agenda for the next meetings of these committees.

The national cancer strategy has been in preparation in my Department for some time now and I intend to publish it in the near future. The strategy will take account of the views of the cancer strategy group which I established in 1995. The strategy will deal with the full range of cancer services, including health promotion, screening and early detection, treatment services, and on to rehabilitation and palliative care. A draft of the strategy has been finalised and has been circulated to other Government Departments for observations. I intend to bring it to Government within the next few weeks and to publish it without delay. I will then be in a position to examine any proposals in respect of the provision of funding for the further development of hospice care facilities in the North-Western Health Board area. The question of funding for any development would need to have regard to the objectives of the strategy as well as the overall funding priorities of the North-Western Health Board.