Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

There is no question of the closure of any acute centre that is currently in operation. On safety grounds and in the best interests of the patient, the HSE is concerned with ensuring that acute services are delivered in the most appropriate locations. That is the policy of the HSE in this regard. I should also mention that strict statutory conditions govern the hospital relief. Those conditions address the concerns that a cost-benefit analysis would raise. For example, hospitals that meet the statutory criteria receive annual certification over a 15-year period. The strict criteria for health sector facilities relate to the minimum number of beds, the proportion of beds that are used by the public and the provision of specific services. A policy has been worked out in the existing legislation.

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