Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Last July, after many months of waiting, the capital programme for major hospitals in the country was announced. For some unknown reason, St. Luke's hospital in Kilkenny received no funding, despite other hospitals getting two, three or four sets of different funding from the programme. By coincidence, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, was due to visit the hospital the next day, as Deputy McGuinness had organised the trip earlier. It was embarrassing for the Tánaiste to visit the only hospital in the whole country which had received no funding.

The hospital had been used as a showcase because of the manner in which it managed its accident and emergency department and the out-patient department etc. It had been cited at Cabinet level. On the day, the Tánaiste gave reassurances that the issue would be rectified immediately, and some funding was allocated in order to begin work. Further funding was to be allocated in the future. I promised at the time that I would raise an issue on the Adjournment in the autumn to monitor the progress on the case.

The current accident and emergency department in St. Luke's hospital in Kilkenny was formerly a laundry room. The fire exit is blocked, a situation condemned in a recent health and safety report. The department is inadequate for the number of patients it deals with, as the hospital covers Carlow and Kilkenny, along with some surrounding areas. A promise was made by the Tánaiste in July that the hospital would also receive a stroke unit.

Other side issues include the minor injuries unit. The doctors and nurses in St. Luke's have an excellent record of working with the local GPs to ensure that patients only present at the accident and emergency unit when necessary, unlike in Dublin where unfortunately, perhaps through a lack of GPs, people present themselves to accident and emergency units and consequently cause a major backlog. It is regrettable that St. Luke's, which was hailed as a showcase hospital, was in effect punished for its excellence. Thankfully, that has been corrected and I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's reply on progress and the commitment made by the Tánaiste at the time. I look forward to hearing good news from the Minister of State in terms of future funding.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank Senator Browne for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I have the pleasure of taking the Adjournment on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

As the Senator has remarked, the manner in which St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny is run has been put forward as a showcase for accident and emergency treatment. I had the pleasure of visiting the hospital in December 2004 and was struck by the excellent atmosphere and environment in which everyone worked, despite the pressures involved in trying to run a hospital of its size. The staff showed great respect for one another and their different roles. A number of other hospitals have examined its successful operation and are trying to learn from the experience.

As Senator Browne noted, the Tánaiste paid a visit to the hospital in July 2005 and she agreed with the Health Service Executive's proposal to provide funding of €450,000 for St. Luke's hospital to further the following capital initiatives: the appointment of a design team to further a development control plan for the site; the completion of contract drawings for an out-patient facility; and the development of services for the stroke unit.

The Health Service Executive has informed the Department of Health and Children that progress on the development of an interim out-patient facility and an expanded accident and emergency unit continue to be the top priority for St Luke's hospital. The technical issues involved are being dealt with by the acting director of capital projects and his staff in Kilkenny. Planning permission has been sought and the HSE south-eastern area is satisfied there are no significant obstacles that would hold up the planning permission. A design team has been appointed and is preparing the necessary tender documentation. It is now a matter for the Health Service Executive to continue to further these developments within the overall funding resources available.