Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the important issue of the development programme for Naas General Hospital in County Kildare and the urgent need to approve the remaining stages of same. The hospital is located in the greater Dublin area, GDA, on the edge of our capital city and meets an enormous level of demand for high quality services but pressure is growing for more services to be provided at the hospital. The need for a new endoscopy unit has been well publicised and it is time to move ahead with that development. A great deal of work can be done now before tendering begins so that the process is not delayed any further.

The quality of life for both staff and patients is a function of the services available throughout the hospital and the standard of the accommodation. In terms of the proposals to which I and Deputy Heydon refer, it is time to push ahead. The necessary measures must be put in place to ensure that the hospital recognises where it is going in good time. If approval is given soon it will be to the benefit of the hospital and the quality of services provided therein.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for being here to discuss this important issue today. Kildare and west Wicklow have a combined population of approximately 241,000. Times have changed significantly since the Lakeview mental health unit and Naas General Hospital were designed and built. Lakeview, for example, was designed and built in the 1980s when the combined population of Kildare and west Wicklow was only 135,000. The 30 bed mental health unit is no longer fit for purpose because demand is far outstripping supply, unfortunately, due to demographic pressures and the size of the youth population in particular. Regularly, people in Kildare who need acute mental health services must avail of acute beds in overflow in Portlaoise and Tallaght. That is not good enough. People in Kildare who need acute mental health services deserve to be treated and cared for in their own county, close to their family and friends who will help them through their darkest days.

6 o’clock

It is crucial that we push on with a redevelopment of a new stand-alone unit for Lakeview.

The long-planned endoscopic unit for Naas General Hospital, which would include a physical therapy and medicine unit, oncology unit and a day ward, is critical for the greater development of Naas General Hospital, not just for Kildare people on waiting lists or who have to travel for such services, but also to strengthen the links between Naas, Tallaght and St. James's hospitals as part of a strategic development for the Dublin and Midlands hospital grouping.

The new 50-bed unit for Lakeview, as listed in the capital development plan, Project Ireland 2040, would include a high observation unit which would provide an improved safety and working environment for the staff, better facilities for the elderly and single rooms to ensure patient privacy. The proposed new standalone mental health facility would also be on the site of Naas General Hospital. This would be a win-win because a development of a new standalone mental health facility on the grounds of Naas General Hospital would free up the existing Lakeview mental health unit, which is adjoining Naas General Hospital in close proximity to the emergency department, and would provide the opportunity to deliver quickly increased capacity for Naas General Hospital, which is needed with the growing population in Kildare.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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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.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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At the outset, I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House and for the positive tone of his reply. I acknowledge the quality and standards of the services provided by the management and staff at Naas General Hospital. They have done exceptionally well over a long number of years. In order to give a realistic imprimatur to their work, now is a good time to bring forward the date for the finishing of the tendering process and approval of contract. Quite an amount of time can elapse between the two so it would be no harm at all, by way of acknowledgement of their work so far, if that could be done.

The quality of the services demanded in a very competitive area, with an increasing population, is something that we must keep in mind and recognise that pressure increases with every day that passes. The request and demand for a high quality standard of services does not go away.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his positive response. The provision of acute beds for mental health support in Kildare-west Wicklow currently is one of the lowest levels per head of population in the country. We are starting from behind and playing catch-up. Procuring a new design team and getting on the 2019 corporate plan is crucial for a new and much needed expanded Lakeview.

The endoscopic unit, as the Minister of State has outlined, is at a different stage. It is much more advanced. It has its detailed design and its planning permission is secured. We need to progress to tender for construction as soon as possible. That is both for Kildare patients who are currently on waiting lists for scopes, or who are currently travelling outside of the county to have those scopes done, but also for the wonderful staff in Naas General Hospital whose morale would be greatly boosted and who deserve to work in improved, state-of-the-art facilities. It is crucial. Kildare's population has grown exponentially and it must be recognised by Government. Project Ireland sets that out and it is up to myself and Deputy Durkan, working with the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath, and his colleagues in the Department of Health, to deliver for Kildare as soon as possible.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank the Deputies for their responses and, in particular, Deputy Bernard Durkan for his comments about pushing for a realistic date. That is something to which I will give my support and I will bring that message to the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris.

Deputy Martin Heydon made the point about the increasing population up to 241,000 people. I take his points on board. I also take on board the Deputy's points about mental health and the staff morale in Naas General Hospital.

Naas General Hospital serves the catchment area of Kildare-west Wicklow which is an area with a rapidly growing population. The hospital provides quality patient care, delivered safely by skilled and valued staff through the best of available resources. As I said earlier, there are two distinct development proposals for Naas General Hospital currently: the mental health one and the new accommodation and services. There has been significant increase in the scope of both projects and, in these circumstances, the current position is the Health Service Executive expects to commence construction on the endoscopy project in 2019 and is preparing to procure a design team for the expanded mental health unit. The Deputies can take it that I will take their strong messages back to the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, and they will have my full support on these projects.