I have had inquiries made of the Department of Defence and I have been advised that 34 bed spaces are currently available in St. Bricin's Military Hospital, Dublin. Another 30 bed spaces are currently unavailable pending completion of contracting work which has necessitated the temporary closure of two wards. However, this work will be completed in about eight weeks time. An additional 20 bed spaces will become available in the next few months, following the completion of refurbishment work to ward No. 1. When these works are completed, St. Bricin's Hospital will have 84 bed spaces available.
I understand that the hospital also has an additional 30 potential bed spaces in ward No. 5. However this ward is in need of very substantial refurbishment, including repairs to its roof. As sufficient beds are available for the admission of military patients, it is not proposed to carry out this refurbishment work at this time.
The Deputy will be aware that a number of meetings have taken place between the Department of Defence and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, with a view to using St. Bricin's Military Hospital as a step down medical facility into which certain categories of civilian patients could be transferred. Both agencies agreed in principle to the introduction of a pilot scheme under which up to eight civilian patients would be accommodated in St. Bricin's for periods ranging from seven to ten days. If the pilot scheme is successful it is intended that a long-term arrangement involving up to 20 civilian patients at a time will be put in place.
It was recognised by all of the parties involved that a range of issues will have to be addressed before the pilot scheme can commence and some preparatory work has already been carried out in this regard.