Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Jun 2000

Vol. 521 No. 4

Written Answers. - National Development Plan.

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

174 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children the capital programmes contained in the national development plan and funded by his Department that have commenced in the constituency of Longford-Roscommon in 2000; the details of any such programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17551/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The constituency of Longford-Roscommon is administered by two health boards, namely, the Midland Health Board and Western Health Board. The capital commitments of the Midland Health Board and Western Health Board include a wide range of projects and other initiatives across all health care areas. These also relate to initiatives that carried forward into 2000 from previous years.

Given the extent of the programme, and the fact that much of the minor capital expenditure is administered by the relevant health boards, and my Department, on a global rather than an itemised basis, it would not be practical for me to detail all such capital expenditure.

Among the capital works that are planned this year in the Longford-Roscommon area are the upgrading of the casualty unit at Longford Hospital and the commencement of a significant upgrading of accident and emergency facilities at Roscommon County Hospital.

As part of the national development plan, I recently made available an additional £8 million to each board for the important areas of re-equipment and refurbishment works. This sum will be prioritised by each board for the acute hospital and non-acute hospital areas throughout the regions. Other possible capital initiatives for this year under the plan will be considered on an individual basis by the relevant boards and my Department, to take account of normal criteria governing capital projects. These relate, for example, to agreement on costings, timing and priority of projects. The question of new or extended service provision will also be examined in detail in the context of NDP priorities.

In general, the question of what projects are funded this year in the Longford-Roscommon area, and the extent to which they are funded, depends on the drawdown by the relevant boards for individual projects within their overall capital programme.