Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to raise on the Adjournment the need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children to ensure funding to complete the entire project at Longford-Westmeath Regional Hospital in Mullingar is provided and to set a timeframe for completion.

I am proud to say I live in Mullingar and the hospital there is a source of pride for everyone in Westmeath and Longford. In a recent report in the national news, Mullingar was deemed to be one of the best performing hospitals in the country. I appreciate that in the past five years, no fewer than seven consultants have been appointed to Mullingar general hospital, including a consultant in radiology, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, a consultant paediatrician, a consultant anaesthetist, a consultant physician with an interest in cardiology, a consultant general surgeon and, most recently, a consultant in accident and emergency.

Much has been said about this important project. Despite the difficult circumstances pertaining at Mullingar general hospital, its nurses, doctors and ancillary staff give a fine service. Pious plaudits, however, are not enough and more needs to be done. The development control plan at the midland regional hospital at Mullingar, phase 2B, was completed at the end of 2003 and approval was received from the Department of Health and Children in September 2004.

Members will be aware that several years ago when phase 2A was built and 2B was shelled out, it would then become the turn of other projects in the midland region to receive capital funding. I put in a proposal on this to the then Midland Health Board which subsequently changed this. As a result, the design team was appointed and the project which now stands for consideration in the Department of Health and Children is approximately four times that of the original project. It includes a medical assessment unit, which was recently opened. I extend warm congratulations to the consultant with the unit, Dr. Seán Murphy, and his staff for the excellent service they provide. The rest of the project includes an operating theatre, an intensive care unit, coronary care unit, a rehabilitation unit, an acute psychiatric unit, in which I have particular interest having worked in that area, a child and adolescent psychiatry unit, a pathology department, an occupational therapy department, on-call accommodation, central staff changing facilities, office accommodation, a catering department, a maintenance workshop and a central equipment store. Funding of approximately €57 million has been allocated by the Department and it has accepted the development control plan.

However, matters have not progressed as fast as I would have liked. There is a degree of impatience pertaining to this project among people in counties Longford and Westmeath. I accept the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen's statement on the matter as bona fide. Nevertheless, for the benefit of those who still harbour lingering doubts, it is imperative a clear statement on the project's status is made. The project has been in place for some years. The plan is to complete the shelled-out part of the hospital at the end of next year. Patients will then be moved from the existing hospital so as to proceed with the remaining part of the project. When it is completed it will mean Mullingar general hospital will be a finer hospital with its bed complement increasing from 203 to 311. I want a clear statement on how this project is progressing.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I know this is a matter Senator Glynn has taken a keen interest in and been supportive of over many years.

The original general hospital in Mullingar was built in the 1930s and subsequently extended through a phase 1 development which was officially opened in 1990. Planning then commenced on phase 2 of the development of the hospital, which was subsequently divided into two phases, phase 2A and 2B. Phase 2A opened in 1997-98 and included a radiology department, an outpatients department, an accident and emergency department and a main concourse and reception area. It was agreed at the time that part of the construction contract for phase 2A would include the shelling-out of four floors designed to house ward accommodation scheduled for provision as part of phase 2B. This was considered prudent both from a long-term value for money perspective and to minimise disruption to existing functioning accommodation during phase 2B construction.

Capital funds to progress phase 2B are provided for by the Health Service Executive in its health capital investment framework 2005 to 2009. The full project has been sanctioned up to detailed design and tender stage. It was recently decided to fast-track the completion of the fit-out of the ward accommodation in the shelled-out area. This decision was taken to provide additional capacity more quickly than if the full project proceeded as a single construction contract. The design team is preparing detailed drawings with the intention of going to tender in March 2006. With this in mind, a prior indicative notice is to be lodged in the Official Journal of the European Union by mid-October. Staff on site are to be fully consulted as part of the detailed design process. Planning permission is to be sought.by the beginning of November and the target completion date for the fit-out of the shelled area is early 2007.

On completion, the fit-out of the shelled accommodation will provide an additional 43 beds, mainly medical and surgical beds. The design work on the second stage of the project will continue in parallel with the fit-out and equipping of the shelled accommodation project. The second stage will include the provision of a pathology department, an operating department, medicine for the elderly-rehabilitation unit, acute psychiatric unit, child and adolescent psychiatric unit, occupational therapy department, administrative accommodation, staff accommodation, duration facilities, catering facilities and a new entrance concourse. The completion of the second stage of the project will provide a further 16 additional beds, mainly for day cases, as well as accommodating the transfer of 50 rehabilitation and acute psychiatric beds from facilities located outside the hospital. In all, there will be 109 additional beds on the hospital campus following the completion of the overall development.

The Health Service Executive has estimated additional revenue funding of €10 million, excluding inflation, will be required on an annual basis to run the shelled-out area when it is fully fitted-out. This estimate reflects a combination of the additional pay and non-pay costs required. Given the significant level of additional annual revenue costs associated with the project, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, has decided that an independent review of the estimate is necessary, to ensure that the estimate and staff profile represent best value for money. This review is due to be completed prior to the finalisation of the tender documentation. It is not anticipated that it will delay the project.