Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I do not know what error led to the first issue raised by the Deputy but I apologise to the family involved as such things should not happen.

No decision has been made by the Government or the HSE on the location of the new regional hospital in the north east. No proposal has come before the health committee or the Government in this regard. The HSE stated about 18 months ago that it would examine the services and that a hospital in one location would be best for the region covering Monaghan, Cavan, Meath and Louth. It has examined the long-term feasibility of various options and at this stage no proposal has been made. Deputy Kenny should not be surprised that resources have not been set aside in the capital programme for a proposal that has not even been made by the board of the HSE.

The multi-annual programme for health and the annual capital programme are published every year around May or June by the HSE, as the health boards did previously, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Children.

The priority, the immediate task facing the north east, is the organisation of services relating to patient safety. The Government has put significant resources into that area. The HSE advised the Department that it recently received a report from a consultancy firm it commissioned to carry out an independent study on the possible location of a new regional hospital. That study was to take into account the various criteria, including demographics, access, planning, development considerations and inter-dependencies. The HSE has indicated that the report is scheduled to be discussed by the HSE at its board meeting tomorrow. Funding, through the national development plan, for the development of services in the north east will be allocated in the light of specific plans to achieve patient safety and quality care objectives. The big task in the north east for the next few years is to ensure the present hospitals and, particularly, the designated hospitals build up first class patient services and that the other hospitals provide the services allocated to them. That is a task that hopefully can be implemented over the next few years. The optimum and long-term plan is obviously some years away.

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