Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I welcome this opportunity to raise this matter. It relates to the replacement of the existing St. Vincent's District Hospital on the grounds of St. Joseph's Hospital in Dungarvan, County Waterford with a new 32-bed community hospital, providing GP access beds, convalescent, respite and terminal care and short-term accommodation for dependent young chronically ill people. This new unit is to be focused on the provision of non-acute services for the community and is to complement the services of the acute general hospital.

The building has been completed for more than two months. It is awaiting the fitting out of beds, oxygen equipment and associated health care equipment. The 32-bed unit will comprise eight beds for GP acute admissions, eight beds for respite care, three beds for palliative care, three beds for young chronically sick people and ten beds for short-term convalescing care.

This unit is very much awaited in west Waterford. The projections for elderly care provision in the country, not to mind in Waterford, are increasing and will pose an increasing demand on State resources in the coming years. St. Bridget's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital in Waterford city, which can accommodate 19 people, is due to close. A new 50-bed unit is awaited in that city.

I hope the Minister of State will have good news as to when we can expect this new unit at St. Vincent's to open. It is great that the building has been completed but it would be a shame if it were left idle for any longer than is necessary. It is important that it is fitted out as soon as possible to enable patients to be admitted and cared for, as was expected when the investment was made in this hospital. I await the Minister of State's response.