David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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10. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the epilepsy monitoring unit in Cork University Hospital; when this unit will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6796/14]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to ascertain the position on the proposed epilepsy monitoring unit at Cork University Hospital. When will it open and how many beds will it contain?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The epilepsy national clinical care programme provides for the commissioning of a regional epilepsy monitoring unit to be based in Cork University Hospital. This unit will provide accessible comprehensive care for patients in the southern area, particularly those with acutely unstable and disabling chronic epilepsy.

The executive management board of Cork University Hospital allocated ward 3A as a suitable location for the epilepsy monitoring unit to be shared with the facility for stroke services. Funding of €140,000 was provided for the infrastructural upgrade of ward 3A and a further €217,000 was provided for the purchase of the required epilepsy monitoring equipment.

The HSE has advised that commissioning of the unit requires the recruitment of additional nursing and allied health professional staff. Recruitment of nursing staff has, I understand, been particularly challenging, but I am assured the recruitment process is in the final stages, and candidates who were successful at interview are now being offered contracts of employment.

I have also been assured the unit is now equipped and will open no later than 31 March 2014 and I look forward to seeing the Deputy there.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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This matter was raised at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on Tuesday when Dr. Colin Doherty, the national clinical lead for the epilepsy programme, was before the committee. He indicated he was at a loss to understand this because he had been a direct participant in advertising and interviewing during the recruitment process. He could not in any way explain the inordinate delay in closing the appointments. It baffles him. He stated the national epilepsy care programme and the HSE had provided funding for the seven nursing staff required to deliver the programme and, for what he described as unclear reasons, nothing has happened. Cork University Hospital has already invested more than €500,000 in equipment which is awaiting staff.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Cad é an ceist?

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The ceist is will the Minister try-----

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The time is up.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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What is happening this morning? With respect I ask Deputy Stanton to allow me to finish.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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With respect, the time is up. Ask a question.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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We have. It is a very serious matter when the clinical lead outlines the difficulties. Will the Minister establish why the delay has taken place and why we have not already seen the appointments in Cork in line with all of the other areas, and ensure we will not have a repetition of such delays for such an important service?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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With respect, what is truly important is to ensure patients have this excellent service available to them in Cork. Last week I was in Beaumont Hospital at the opening of its new unit where I met the staff there and some of the patients. It is a state of the art unit with the latest technological equipment available and the staff will now be able to diagnose with much greater accuracy the forms of epilepsy people have and will therefore be able to treat with much greater effect these conditions. As a professional who dealt with many people who have this condition I can tell the Deputy one drug after another was tried in the hope that one might work. Now we have a much more scientific way of addressing these issues and seeing whether stereotactic surgery would alleviate problems completely.

I met a gentleman there who is related to a Member of the House who was very happy to tell us his life has been transformed in the past two years. He is now epilepsy free and can go where he wishes and does not need to plan the day around his condition. It is like a new lease of life for him. I thank all of the doctors and nurses working in the units and the lead, Dr. Colin Doherty, who does outstanding work on our behalf in this regard. The delays are not something on which I have intimate knowledge but I know some issues arose with regard to staffing which have been resolved and we look forward to the unit opening in Cork and delivering care there.