Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I wish to highlight the need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, to indicate her Department's plans for the Bon Secours hospital, formerly the Grove Hospital, in Tuam. It was purchased by the Western Health Board over five years ago and is now lying abandoned. Will she indicate whether plans submitted by the health board have been approved by her Department?

The Western Health Board bought the property when the Bon Secours group decided to pull out of Tuam. It was a fine hospital and provided wonderful service to the people of Tuam, north Galway, south Mayo and north-west Roscommon. When this issue arose, there was a clear indication that the health board, in conjunction with the then Minister, Deputy Martin, would proceed quickly to revamp and re-plan the facility in Tuam as a community hospital. The health board, of which I was a member, met the Minister in this regard, after which he bought facilities. The Bon Secours facility was closed down immediately and chains were put on the gate. The building is semi-derelict today despite the wonderful plans of the health board to remove the present structure, re-plan the site and provide other community facilities.

The local action group on various occasions, as Senator Kitt knows, said it was a pity the facilities there could not be used for out-patients, clinics and related services. That has not been done. The upkeep and maintenance by the health board must be a sizeable contract for somebody. My greatest fear is that the decision and announcement of the Minister for Health and Children will be to investigate all property and lands owned by the health board with a view to selling off any that are surplus to requirement. The Minister has failed to develop the property or give any indication that it will be developed despite the Taoiseach's visit before the election when he announced there would be a hospital in Tuam within one year of that visit. That has not happened several years down the line from that promise.

I hope to hear an answer from the Minister tonight to the effect that the extensive and wonderful plans the health board submitted to the Department will be approved and that she will indicate that whatever properties the health board and the Department have in County Galway, particularly in Tuam, are not for sale but will be developed very soon. We know of the serious shortage in the community of bed capacity and the other services provided by the private hospital in the past. The action group that requested this worked supportively with the town council, the Western Health Board and the public representatives to ensure that the Minister would purchase it on the day, as he did. That was widely welcomed and the plans were submitted to the Department but I cannot find out what has happened to them, or whether they are being accepted.