Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Hospital Accommodation.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

1221 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the degree to which the Naas Hospital project has advanced; the current total accommodation likely to emerge; the total costs as estimated in 1996; the current projected total costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17487/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

A major investment programme comprising of phases 2 and 3A has been approved and is under way at Naas General Hospital. Construction of phase 2 commenced on site in November 1999. Phase 3A which includes additional accommodation and enabling works for future phases, 3B and 3C, commenced on site, as a variation to the phase 2 contract, in April 2002. The additional phase 3A accommodation is a pathology department, further out-patients department facilities and administration accommodation. The planned completion date for phase 2 and 3A is September 2003, with a staged handover of departments which began with the ward block in August 2002. The operating and radiology departments are programmed for handover in late October 2002 and the accident and emergency department for March 2003.

It is anticipated that phases 3B and 3C will be procured on a phased basis with construction planned for commencement in late 2003 with completion in 2004-06. This will include the provision of an extra 62 beds in new accommodation at the hospital. The proposed full extent of the new facilities for Naas General Hospital will be in accordance with the revised design brief approved in 1997 and will include the following: phases 2 and 3A; main entrance concourse; administration; medical records department; chaplaincy department; out-patients department; accident and emergency department; radiology department; pharmacy department; pathology department; geriatric day hospital; operating department; intensive care and coronary care units; in-patient wards; geriatric rehabilitation-assessment ward; staff changing; central supplies department; on-call accommodation. Phases 3B and 3C will include: in-patient wards, 62 extra beds, physical medicine department; day services department; hospital sterile supplies department; catering department; mortuary and post mortem facilities; waste management department.

On completion of the development the total bed complement at Naas General Hospital will be 269, including ten geriatric day hospital places. The estimated total cost of the project at 1996 costs was approximately €50 million. The 1996 cost excluded inflation to completion and the extra 62 beds and their necessary ancillary support accommodation. The current projected total cost of phases 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, is approximately €110 million.