James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Government's priority in regard to acute hospital services is to ensure a safe and high quality of care for patients which is provided at the most appropriate location. I am committed to ensuring that all care is provided at the lowest level of complexity, is safe, timely and efficient and is available as close to home as possible, consistent with safe practice.

Wexford General Hospital has an important and permanent role to play in the south-east region. It will continue to operate as a vibrant, fully functioning acute hospital. Acute medicine will continue at the hospital with an emphasis on increasing day surgery in line with international trends. The hospital will continue to operate a 24-hour emergency department but, in common with all other hospitals, the scope and composition of the department will be developed having regard to advice of the national clinical programmes, the service standards required by HIQA and the related requirements of acute hospital licensing, legislation for which is in preparation.

As for all acute services, we should look at the future of Wexford General Hospital in the wider context of hospital networks functioning as part of a co-ordinated system. One of the prerequisites for the introduction of universal health insurance is strong and efficient hospital networks which provide the appropriate treatment at the appropriate level of complexity to the patients in their area. These networks will provide the basis from which the independent hospital trusts can be established.

I also believe there must be strong clinical leadership at the head of the development of hospital networks. The clinical programmes developed by the HSE to improve and standardise patient care throughout the system are being led by clinical directors. They will support and direct the development of hospital networks and the safe and effective provision of services. We can ensure a well functioning acute hospital service in the south-east region by using the Government's approach to networks and clinical programmes and the future of Wexford General Hospital is assured within this system.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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A question, please.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Wexford General Hospital is a separate issue to psychiatric services, which are being re-organised in the south east and Wexford in particular. As I noted in my original reply, it is important to site services as close to patients as possible and to this end the development of a community psychiatric service is well advanced. A crisis house will be open 24 hours per day, seven days per week and a psychiatric service will be made available in the community with the back-up of consultant psychiatrists. The local psychiatric teams have been engaged in the design and implementation of this service, which is only proper, and patients will receive a much better service than the one described by the Deputy. That is the way forward.

I defer to the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who has responsibility for this area but both consumers and providers of the service have indicated their preference for proceeding in the direction of more services and treatments in the community and less stigmatisation.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Wallace may ask a brief supplementary question.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I share the Deputy's concern. The matter is being expedited and significant advances have been made to the point that services will be in place very shortly. This should be seen as progress rather than regress.