Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire seo inniu.

Before putting forward the case for Wexford General Hospital with which the Minister and the Tánaiste are familiar, it is appropriate to note recent investment in the hospital. This has included some innovations which are a credit to the former health board and to the staff, management and consultants in the hospital.

A day care centre for elderly people was recently opened, making a significant addition to the facilities. A CAT scan was provided recently for which 50% of the funding was collected locally. The remaining 50% came from the Department of Health and Children. There is a cardiac diagnostic unit and a medical assessment centre which deals with pre-admissions to the hospital.

While the hospital welcomes the increased population in the area, which has risen to 120,000, this increase entails infrastructural challenges. Over the past seven years since Fianna Fáil came into Government, the number of people treated in the hospital has increased by 25% or 26%. That has put a strain on the hospital as a consequence of which it is not unusual for the staff to resort to using trolleys and various locations, including the medical admissions centre forinpatient care.

This poses a problem for those seeking admission and for outpatients visiting for diagnostic surgery or investigations. It is disruptive and should not be allowed to continue in the medium to long term.

I am aware of the Government's commitment to the hospital and hope there will be an early announcement of an increase in bed capacity through the 19-bed unit under consideration. The outpatients department which accommodates five or six beds is adjacent to the accident and emergency department of the hospital which has seen an increase of over 50% in patient numbers in the past seven or eight years, imposing an inordinate strain on that section.

To improve the accident and emergency area involves vacating the outpatients department and installing new units. There are tenders for that to the tune of €2.6 million. I urge that be done as soon as possible, preferably within the 2005 capital programme. If it is not to be included in that programme I urge the Minister and the Tánaiste to use their good offices to try to put that on the agenda as quickly as possible. Only by doing so can they address the over-crowding in the accident and emergency unit.

Regrettably this issue has become highly politicised which detracts from many of the good news stories involving the hospital which is such a fine health facility for the area. This may also encourage people on the periphery of the county to use the regional hospital rather than Wexford General Hospital. The sooner these matters are addressed, the better.