Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Defence the position with regard to the availability of St. Bricin's Hospital to the Minister for Health and Children; his views on the extent to which St. Bricin's needs to be upgraded for use in the wider health service; if any such cost would be met by his Department; when a decision will be made on the future of the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25931/05]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for Defence the improvements which have been carried out to St. Bricin's Hospital since October 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25661/05]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for Defence if he has had any recent discussions with respect to the use of St. Bricin's Hospital, Parkgate Street, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25659/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 27 and 34 together.

I have indicated my willingness to make the facilities at St. Bricin's Military Hospital available to the public health service if the service wishes to secure access to the facilities. Representatives of the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health and Children visited the hospital to inspect its facilities earlier this year. I inspected the hospital's facilities in late April. The Department and the HSE have given detailed consideration to the possible use of the facilities for public health purposes. Specialist engineering and architectural surveys which were conducted at St. Bricin's Hospital in 2001 indicated that total capital expenditure of at least €20 million, at 2001 prices, would be required to bring the entire facility up to the standard of acute health board and public voluntary hospitals. While some upgrading work has taken place at the hospital since 2001, the building remains essentially unmodernised. The refurbishment that has been done, including fire safety works and rewiring, has been largely focused on meeting health and safety criteria.

I wish to outline the details of the improvements and engineering works which have been carried out at St. Bricin's Military Hospital since October 2004. Some €40,300 was spent on security fencing at the hospital on foot of a contract placed on 13 September 2004. Some €6,054 was spent on two air conditioning units, at the radiographer's room and the hearing test centre within the hospital, on foot of a contract placed on 10 September 2004. Some €125,000 was spent on internal and external painting at the hospital on foot of a contract placed on 15 June 2005. The actual expenditure required for full upgrading and modernisation would depend on the nature of the intended use of the facility. As I have previously made clear, any such expenditure would be a matter for the HSE and the Department of Health and Children. I will consider positively any future proposals for possible public health care use of the St. Bricin's facilities. The Department remains available to do everything possible to co-operate with the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive in that regard if such a consideration arises in the future.