Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senators Dooley and Daly for raising this matter on the Adjournment this evening. I had the pleasure of visiting the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis in the recent past and I am very much aware of the support both Members have given to this project. I will be taking the Adjournment on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children.

The Tánaiste approved the Health Service Executive capital plan for 2006 in May this year. The plan provides for €555.5 million spending on approximately 400 individual projects. This highlights the Government's commitment to a very high level of public capital investment in our health services. It is part of our €3 billion health capital investment framework for the years 2005-09. With prudent management of our strong economy and reform in the way we use our resources, the Government intends to continue a high level of capital investment in the health services.

The provision of services at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. Significant developments and enhancement of services at the hospital have taken place over the past few years, including the commencement of a cardiology service, additional consultant appointments in anaesthesia and surgery, additional vascular day surgery, outreach clinics in Kilrush and enhancements to the accident and emergency service, which include the appointment of dedicated doctors to the unit on a 24-hour basis and the involvement of an accident and emergency consultant on a sessional basis. The Health Service Executive has initiated an independent review of all acute hospital services in the mid west region and how they can be developed in accordance with best practice. This review is to be completed by the year end, following which findings will be published. The Government is committed to developing the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis. In this context, the former Minister for Health and Children approved the establishment of a project team to prepare detailed briefs for identified priority developments at the hospital so that the long-term requirements of the catchment area can be addressed.

As with all major hospital developments, the development of the hospital at Ennis will be carried out on a phased basis. The priority areas for development in phase 1A include an upgrade of wards, the accident and emergency department, the radiology department, the outpatients department, the intensive care unit, the concourse and a general infrastructure upgrade. The priority developments identified will cost in excess of €20 million to build.

I have been informed that the design team is currently preparing detailed drawings of the developments and hopes to be in a position to submit the planning application soon. Additional work is also taking place to ensure the proposed developments are compliant with recent design guidelines in respect of the control of infection in hospitals. I will take up the issue of the CAT scanner with the Health Service Executive and get back to the Senators as soon as I receive news on it.