Vol. 551 No. 2
288 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children to make a statement on a situation where western neurosurgery campaigners have expressed their concern that the ?4 million offered by an Irish-American group for equipment will be lost if the Government does not make a decision on whether to include a neurosurgical unit in phase two of the development plans at University College Hospital, Galway. [10038/02]
I acknowledge the need to expand neurosurgical capacity. One of the key questions is whether further development should occur at the current national centre in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin or at some other centre. It is now more than ten years since Comhairle na nOspidéal last undertook a review of neurosurgical services. Given the passage of time since then, and in the light of the announcement in the recent health strategy of the Government's intention to provide an additional 3,000 acute hospital beds by 2011, I consider that an up to date review of neurosurgical services should be undertaken, focusing in particular on issues of capacity and geographic configuration. Comhairle has been asked to give priority to carrying out such a review and to the preparation of a report for my consideration.
