Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to deal with this issue on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

The Health Service Executive has informed the Department of Health and Children that the person referred to by the Deputy has transferred today, as the Deputy said, from the National Rehabilitation Hospital to the Hamilton Park Care Facility at Balrothery, Balbriggan.

In the context of its work to provide services within the budget voted by Dáil Éireann for 2007, the Health Service Executive is working closely with the National Rehabilitation Hospital to identify options to allow further discharges to take place as required. The executive is aware of 31 patients who are due for discharge from the hospital before the year ends. The HSE and the hospital are finalising solutions to discharge 13 patients from the hospital to the community. These patients will be moved as soon as arrangements can be made. The HSE and the hospital will continue to work closely together to resolve the cases of the remaining patients whose discharge dates fall between now and the end of the year.

Funding for health services has increased over the past decade, resulting in an associated expansion of a wide range of frontline services and increased activity. This year €15 billion of public money will be spent on health and personal social services. The Minister for Health and Children recently announced in the pre-budget Estimates that €1 billion extra revenue funding will be provided next year for the HSE to deliver public health services, an increase of 7%. This increase for 2008 is a substantial increase by international or any other standards to maintain existing service levels. The Minister for Finance will announce on budget day any service development funding to be provided by the Government.

Most activities this year have exceeded the target levels in the HSE's service plan. Higher activity within budget means higher productivity, which is recognised. However, in some cases staffing and activity levels have been higher than profile and have incurred additional costs over the anticipated level for the time of year. For that reason, the HSE is implementing a plan to come in on budget. I must emphasise the temporary nature of the measures which the HSE has put in place to remain within its budget. It is also important to emphasise that the HSE has a legal responsibility to manage its funding as voted by Dáil Éireann.

The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire is a 120-bed hospital which provides treatment and rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord injuries, head injuries, amputation, traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury, strokes, neurological disorders, children's disabilities and spina bifida. It also provides wheelchair and mobility aids assessment, pre-vocational and vocational training programmes involving a wide range of social, personal and work related skills with a view to enhancing opportunities for each individual for further training, employment and educational options. There is also a 12-bed hostel to enable clients from outside the greater Dublin area to access day services in the hospital and vocational training unit. A new hospital is in the planning stage for the National Rehabilitation Hospital and once built will have an additional 100 beds.

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