Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I have met the CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland as part of my dealings with another group. I would be more than happy to meet other representatives of the association. The Department of Health and Children receives approximately 600 letters, including many invitations, every four days. I assure Deputy McManus that I would be happy to meet representatives of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and any other group. The working group to which I referred in my response was established at the request of the association. Some €300,000 has been made available to St. Vincent's Hospital for minor works. The hospital authorities are making new facilities available. I have allocated over €42 million under this year's capital programme for the purchase of the equipment needed at the new hospital building to which St. Vincent's Hospital will move as soon as possible.

I share the Deputy's view on this matter. The working group will need to consider the reconfiguration of services, which are far too disparate at present. Six different areas are covered at the moment. I will not give details of the plans to bring together the facilities currently offered at Beaumont Hospital and Temple Street Children's University Hospital. There is a need for a specific group to sit down to work out how to bring the manpower and facilities together. The €300,000 that has been allocated to St. Vincent's Hospital will facilitate the appointment of a locum consultant. The working group is anxious for that appointment to be made. While some resources have been made available, I agree that we have to do more. I hope we will see significant improvements at St. Vincent's Hospital, which is the national centre in this field, when the new hospital building is in operation and after some further decisions have been made later this year.

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