Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

I hope the Minister of State has more information for me than was offered to Deputy Stanton on the previous matter raised.

A building at South Tipperary General Hospital at St. Joseph's, Clonmel, has been vacant for more than 12 months. It should house a 40 bed surgical unit, a 15 bed day unit and an accident and emergency unit. It has been idle and had been a white elephant for the past 12 months. The local health board has repeatedly contacted the Department of Health and Children requesting funding to equip and staff the units. They have been promised on a number of occasions since last March that the moneys would be made available and that it would be possible to open the units in a reasonably short period of time.

I hope the Minister of State will be able to answer the questions I have raised. When will the moneys and funding be made available to equip the units that are lying idle in St. Joseph's Hospital? When will the moneys be made available to employ the staff to run the units? Despite the best efforts of well-qualified and committed staff, health services in south Tipperary have been inadequate for a number of years. Staff have not been given the necessary resources to provide a quality health service for the citizens of south Tipperary.

After waiting 12 months, I demand that the Minister finally announce the funding for equipping and staffing the unit and give a date for opening it. Even if it is just before the local elections, I want to see the unit opened and not left lying there for another 12 months having already lain idle for the past 12 months denying a quality service to the people of south Tipperary. I do not want to hear a load of balderdash from the Minister tonight — I want answers to the questions raised. I ask the Minister to inform the House when funding will be made available to equip and staff the unit and when it will be opened.

See this speech in context