Vol. 470 No. 5
65 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for Health the action, if any, he proposes to take to allow the opening of hospice beds in Castlebar and Roscommon which are substantially funded by the Mayo-Roscommon Hospice Foundation; and whether he will immediately sanction staff and funding in this regard. [19456/96]
Limerick East): I have recently received a request from the Western Health Board for extra funding towards the provision of additional staff at the Sacred Heart Home, Castlebar. This application will be considered in the context of my Department's overall revenue allocation to the Western Health Board for 1997, having regard to the many competing priorities for the development of services.
No proposals have been received for the staffing of hospice beds in Roscommon. However, I recently made available a grant of £70,000 from national lottery funds to assist the Mayo-Roscommon Hospice Foundation in its development of services, in conjunction with the Western Health Board.
