Vol. 488 No. 4
183 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has received a request for resources to appoint a consultant in order that there will be epidural availability to public patients in the Southern Health Board region at all times. [6266/98]
The identification of priorities and the appointment of additional staff is a matter for the Southern Health Board in the first instance. An application has recently been received from the board in respect of the post referred to by the Deputy. My Department has been in contact with the board indicating that additional resources for such a service can only be considered in the context of proposed service developments for 1999 and requesting that the priority accorded to this post be specified, having regard to the other priority consultant posts for the Southern Health Board area already identified to the Department.
The improvement of obstetric services generally is currently being dealt with by a project team for the amalgamation of maternity and neonatology 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.
