Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 228: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she received a letter in relation to Southern Health Board recommendation to Comhairle na nOspidéal in 2002 regarding accident and emergency plans for Cork University Hospital and Mallow General Hospital. [26181/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Under the Health Act 2004, operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services falls within the remit of the Health Service Executive. This includes responsibility for the provision of accident and emergency services at Mallow General Hospital.

The designation of accident and emergency units in the southern hospitals group is guided by the Comhairle na nOspidéal Report of the Committee on Accident and Emergency Services, published in February 2002. This report recommended that a regional emergency service be established in the then Southern Health Board area, with Cork University Hospital as the regional emergency department. The report also recommended that Mallow General Hospital come under the remit of the Cork University Hospital emergency service. This has been the strategic direction adopted to date.

I understand that the conclusions contained in the Comhairle na nOspidéal Report were made following submission of workload information by individual hospitals in the Southern Health Board which had been invited by Comhairle to provide it with such information.

The information supplied to Comhairle at the time was not copied to my Department.