Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Every year the service plan devised for all hospitals must be adhered to in the interest of budgetary sustainability and in order to provide services in all our hospitals. It is important to point out that Crumlin hospital was allocated just under €140 million for this year, which is an increase of more than €38 million, or 39%, since 2004. There is a need for greater co-ordination between Crumlin, the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght, and the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, to avoid duplication in the provision of out-of-hours services and so on. Such an approach would provide the services required while avoiding extra costs. Co-ordination of services across all three hospitals, in the interest of providing services for children in our straitened budgetary circumstances, is the way forward. A meeting has been held between the chief executive of the HSE and the chairman of the medical board of Crumlin hospital, and progress was made in that respect.

As I said, there is a need for a more co-ordinated approach among all three hospitals. Closing wards should not be an initial response; the initial response must be to obtain better co-ordination of services. That is the best way of ensuring we maintain service levels, and it is the approach that will be taken. Savings of €6.5 million have already been identified by the hospital in respect of its budgets and these are being implemented, but it is important to point out that better co-ordination should help alleviate the worst aspects of the problem.

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