Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I will take the last question first. The answer is "yes", St. Bricin's is primarily a military hospital and the military will always have priority there. Deputy Sherlock asked which Department would pay for the renovations. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that it is the Department of Health and Children.

Regarding the amount of expenditure, as I stated, it would depend on the use to which the hospital was put. The assessment carried out in 2001 concluded that if the intention was to upgrade it to the standard of an acute hospital or a public voluntary hospital it would have cost €20 million at the time. A number of other possible uses were mooted. A price tag was also attached to the option of using the hospital for acute day surgery. It would have cost €3 million to upgrade the hospital for that purpose at 2001 prices. A sum of less than €2 million has been spent since the survey was carried out. It is not long since I made the offer and I have been in close contact with the Department of Health and Children in the interim. I expect a decision on this matter one way or the other very shortly.

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