Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I do not know what Deputy Timmins is talking about. As regards gimmick of the year award, I understand I was granted heckler of the year award, which is a sufficiently dubious distinction in itself.

This is not a gimmick. I have been inundated with requests and people talking to me about St. Bricin's in view of the accident and emergency departments crisis. We all agree there is a crisis. St. Bricin's is a fine facility within easy distance of the Mater hospital and people believe it should be made available. I have had requests literally from the day I came into the Department. I have spoken to a number of people, including the Minister for Health and Children. She spoke to me about it two months ago. Various people from all sides of the political divide have asked me if it could be made available. I have always made it clear that it is my job and my decision whether to make it available. If the Department of Health and Children wants to use it in any capacity it is up to the Department to spend money on it. How much use it gets out of it will depend on how much money is spent.

Deputy Timmins is right. There was a feasibility study in 2001, but that was only in relation to one particular use. The study group found that it was not cost effective, because it would have cost €3 million at the time, for a limited throughput of patients. Since then about €2 million has been spent on rewiring etc., which was a substantial part of the problem identified at the time. As regards Colonel Collins, I have no dispute with what he said. He said in the Irish Medical Times that it could not be used without expenditure being incurred. That is precisely what I have said all the time. It is up to the Department of Health and Children. The Department is examining it as we speak. I understand architects are there from the Department of Health and Children. They will decide to what extent it can be used or how much they want to spend or can afford, and whether it is cost effective. I am only making it available on the basis that the Department of Health and Children spends money on it. The use it will get from the facility depends on how much it is prepared to spend.

Earlier in the week I was shown around St. Bricin's by several people, including Colonel Collins. He, as the expert in the area, referred to various figures for putting the ward into public use. The air-conditioning in the operating theatre has to be adjusted to ensure it can be used. Our engineering section reckons this will cost X amount. The figures are relative modest when placed in the context of the total health services budget and the moneys spent on acquiring private nursing homes for step-down facilities. During the week I read a newspaper report that claimed that it had been decided the facilities could not be used, but that is rubbish. The Department of Health and Children has not yet come back to me on the proposal. I believe the facilities there can be used and I am confident they will be.

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