Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Bernard Durkan and Martin Heydon for raising this important issue because I know the two Deputies are committed to the development of the health service in Kildare and in particular Naas General Hospital. They have been supportive of me as Minister of State with special responsibility for disability issues.

I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the capital development projects at Naas General Hospital. As you will be aware, my colleague the Minister for Health has previously met with management of the hospital to discuss the plans for increased endoscopy and other healthcare services. There are two distinct development proposals for Naas General Hospital currently. The first development consists of accommodation and ancillary services to support the new endoscopy unit, physical medicine unit, physical therapy unit, oncology unit and day procedure department. It will also include a duplex, rather than simplex, reverse osmosis filtration system and two lifts.

This new development is a key strategic priority for the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, DMHG, and would help to clear the significant urgent scopes waiting list. Naas General Hospital would become a major ambulatory centre within the hospital group and this development would also enable significant strategic links to be developed between Naas, Tallaght and St James’s hospitals.

As the Deputies are aware, planning permission has been received and the project is at tender stage. Funding for this development is included in the HSE’s capital programme 2018-22. It is anticipated that the tender for construction of this project will commence in 2019. All stages of capital projects, including the design and tendering processes, are subject to review to ensure the projects deliver value for money. This includes, where possible, future proofing to ensure that capital developments meet not just current standards, but that provision is made for additional capacity and/or improved equipping and that these are addressed appropriately. This has resulted in a significant increase in the scope of both of these projects at Naas General Hospital and as a consequence impacted the estimated timescale and costs.

Increasing capacity is a priority of this Government. Over the past 12 months an additional 240 beds have been opened including 11 beds in Naas General Hospital which came on stream in the last quarter of 2017.

With regard to mental health services, the original development proposal comprised the provision of an eight-bed intensive care unit at the existing 30-bed mental health unit called Lakeview on the grounds of Naas General Hospital. A design team had been appointed for the mental health project. Following a review of the proposal, a significant expansion of the project scope is now proposed, with an associated increased in project value. This has meant the design team’s engagement has recently been terminated and HSE estates is now preparing to procure a new design team for this much expanded project.

The timeframe for the completion of the new acute mental health unit project will be informed by the work of the project team and this work will be undertaken in conjunction with Naas General Hospital and the HSE. I am happy to confirm that both of these developments at Naas General Hospital have been included in the national development plan, NDP, announced earlier this year as part of the Project Ireland 2040 policy initiative. The NDP provides €10.9 billion for health capital developments across the country, including both national programmes and individual projects, across acute, primary and social care. Health capital projects and programmes currently underway will continue. As is to be expected with a ten-year plan, many proposals are at an early stage and will require to progress through appraisal, planning, design and tender before a firm timeline or funding required can be established.

The delivery of NDP projects and programmes, including these projects in Naas, will result in healthcare facilities that allow for implementation of new models of care and for delivery of services in high quality modern facilities.

Investment in healthcare infrastructure, including these projects, must be considered within the overall capital envelope available to the health service. The HSE will continue to apply the available funding for infrastructure development in the most effective way possible to meet current and future needs, having regard to the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place.

See this speech in context