Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 29 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 2

Written Answers. - Epidural Service.

Deirdre Clune

Ceist:

35 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide funding for an additional consultant anaesthetist to enable the provision of an on-call epidural service in the Erinville and St. Finbarr's hospitals; the likely timescale for this decision; if the epidural service will be available to women in these hospitals seven days a week, 24 hours a day as is the nature of a true on-call service in view of the recent statement of the Southern Health Board that they will be seeking departmental funding for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2102/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The identification of priorities and the appointment of additional staff is a matter for the Southern Health Board in the first instance. My Department has not received an application from the Southern Health Board in respect of the post referred to by the Deputy. Should such an application be submitted, it will be considered in the context of available resources and the priority accorded to it by the board.

The Deputy will be aware that the improvement of obstetric services generally is at present being dealt with by a project team for the amalgamation of maternity and neo-natology services in Cork, on the Cork University Hospital site. I understand from the Southern Health Board that the brief for an amalgamated obstetric unit on the site of the Cork University Hospital is almost complete and I look forward to receiving the brief from the board in due course.