Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Lynch for raising this matter. I make this reply on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is a national organisation that plays an essential role in the health services of this State. Despite the challenges of recent years, not least the particular difficulty presented by vCJD, the service has risen to the challenge and maintained the national blood supply to hospitals.

The Munster centre is an integral part of the national organisation. While there have been acknowledged difficulties with the facilities available to the Munster centre, the Tánaiste is confident that the service provided to the people of the Munster region is on a par with services nationally. I assure the Deputy the Tánaiste is aware of the difficulties with the current building in Cork and is working with the board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service to develop a suitable alternative.

The development brief for the new Munster centre project was submitted to the Department by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in March 2003. The capital cost of the project, inclusive of special testing facilities, is estimated at more than €30 million. The Tánaiste has asked me to assure the House that provision is included in the Department's capital plan for 2005 to allow the appointment of a design team and commencement of the planning process. While planning for the new centre is in progress, the IBTS board approved an interim development for the Munster centre in November 2003. The 660 sq. m. facilities which were completed in December 2004 were developed on the St. Finbarr's Hospital site at a cost of approximately €3 million which was met from the resources of the IBTS. The Tánaiste understands that the Irish Medicines Board, which is the competent authority for the IBTS, has recently inspected the new facilities and is satisfied that they meet the required good manufacturing practice requirements for the immediate future.

While there is no argument that this development is an interim solution and that permanent new premises are required for the Munster centre, there has nonetheless been considerable additional investment at the centre over the years. A new components laboratory was provided at a cost of more than €600,000, a second consultant post was approved and new posts in quality assurance and information technology were also approved in recent years. The Progesa integrated computer system went live in Cork in March 2003, before Dublin which went live in May that year. The posts of laboratory manager and quality assurance officer were filled last year on a permanent basis. The centre also took delivery last year of Galileo, a sophisticated new automated processing machine.

The Munster centre also participates in and benefits from national developments. A strategic plan is being finalised which will guide the activities of the service nationally over the next few years and enable the service to meet the challenges of a changing environment and to maintain its position at the forefront of international developments in transfusion medicine.

The Tánaiste is being kept fully briefed about the position regarding developments at both the national centre and the Munster centre of the IBTS. She has asked me to assure the Deputy that she reiterates the Government's commitment to ensuring that the IBTS continues to have sufficient resources to maintain the highest possible standards in blood transfusion practice at all locations throughout the service.

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