Vol. 573 No. 3
493 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the changes that have been made in his Department's plans, programmes, policies and spending arising from the publication of the Government's national spatial strategy. [25414/03]
There is a natural convergence between current health policy, as set out in the health strategy, Quality and Fairness, and the policy of the national spatial strategy, NSS. This is reflected in my Department's Statement of Strategy 2003- 2005, where both the high level objectives of fair access, and responsive and appropriate care delivery, have implications for an appropriate spatial configuration of services.
Health policies and programmes, including the health capital programme, have been designed to provide an appropriate spatial distribution of health facilities nationwide, and significant investment has been committed to the gateways identified in the NSS, for example, Cork University Hospital maternity unit, special child care unit - St. Joseph's, Limerick, Tullamore General Hospital and University College Hospital, Galway, phases I and II.
My Department is fully committed to implementing the terms of the national spatial strategy and will ensure that future plans for health services adhere to the policies of the strategy.
