Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

As the House will be aware, earlier this week I stated my desire to make the use of facilities at St. Bricin's Military Hospital available to the public health service. This offer includes the three specific areas for the treatment of civilian patients identified back in 2001, but also includes any possible options that the Health Service Executive might wish to put to the Department of Defence for the use of medical and health care facilities at St. Bricin's.

On Monday last, 18 April, representatives from the Health Service Executive visited St. Bricin's hospital to inspect the facilities there. I inspected the hospital facility earlier this week. Further detailed examinations and surveys are now in process. The three possible areas identified in 2001 for treatment of civilian patients in St. Bricin's were acute day case surgery; the provision of step down inpatient services from acute hospital care, such as intensive nursing of the chronically ill, convalescent services for the hospitalised elderly etc.; and the use of the St. Bricin's complex for general community-based health care and social care services.

When the question of the potential use of St. Bricin's hospital for treatment of civilian patients was last looked at in 2000-2001, a detailed feasibility study was carried out into the first of the three identified possible uses, acute day case ophthalmic surgery, as a pilot project. That feasibility study indicated that this project would not have been cost effective for the Northern Area Health Board. In the event, the Northern Area Health Board secured access to suitable facilities elsewhere in Dublin.

Since that time St. Bricin's hospital has undergone a refurbishment programme, including fire safety works and rewiring, largely focused on meeting health and safety criteria. Inpatient capacity at St. Bricin's Hospital has fluctuated over recent years due to refurbishment works and the use of some wards for medical storage. In reply to a parliamentary question in April last year, my predecessor indicated that the then functional capacity was 48, with an inpatient occupancy rate of 20% of capacity. It should be borne in mind that the Army medical corps itself does not have the staffing resources to operate a public health service. The possibility that the provision of treatment for civilian patients at St. Bricin's might raise some legal questions will also need to be examined.

St. Bricin's Military Hospital is the logistics base facility of the medical corps.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Its functions are to provide a primary care facility for the Dublin garrisons, an occupational medical service base for the Defence Forces, a limited inpatient capability for the Defence Forces both in Ireland and in support of overseas deployment and a medical logistics base for the provision of medical equipment, pharmaceutical supplies and strategic medical supplies for the Defence Forces. The St. Bricin's complex also provides accommodation for the Army pensions board.

I am now awaiting receipt of the considered opinion of the Health Service Executive arising from its inspections of St. Bricin's Hospital. I will positively consider its proposals for all possible public health care use of St. Bricin's facilities, and my Department is available to do everything possible to co-operate with it.

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