Vol. 503 No. 3
371 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason an angiogram service within the new Tallaght Hospital is not operational in view of the fact the hospital has excellent new facilities to operate angio surgery; the reason patients must still travel to St. James's hospital for these procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10142/99]
The Deputy will be aware that the Deloitte & Touche report was critical of the management processes and controls at Tallaght Hospital. Furthermore, the report went on to state "In our view, it is not acceptable for the Board to continue to seek exchequer funding or to continue to maintain that it must be made available to develop the hospital until such time as it has demonstrated a capacity to create an effective man agement system for the present profile of the hospital, and operate at net expenditure levels which are accepted as appropriate for the size, nature and circumstances of the hospital, from its new location in Tallaght" (Reference page 38)
The services to which the Deputy refers are new services and are part of the planned developments at the hospital. I have set aside £1 million for top priority developments this year. This funding will be provided when the chairman of the group, established to put the hospital on a firm footing, confirms that sufficient progress has been made in the implementation of the Deloitte & Touche recommendations to allow some resumption of funding for the development of services.
