Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 513: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of her recent meetings including dates of same with Health Service Executive executives regarding acute hospital services in County Louth; if she will immediately and significantly increase funding for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and Louth County Hospital Dundalk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15285/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I met with officials from the Health Service Executive (HSE) on 27 March 2007 to discuss inter alia, issues relating to the provision of acute hospital services in County Louth. I was also pleased to visit the Louth County Hospital recently and to open the new CT Scanner.

Over the past five years the level of revenue funding allocated to both Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Louth County Hospital has increased significantly. The current revenue funding for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has increased from €53.7m to €90.3m (an increase of 68%), and in the case of Louth County Hospital from €18m to €28m (an increase of 55%). Over the same period of time staffing numbers across the two hospitals have increased by 225.

In the case of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital a new three storey development, approved by the HSE, is scheduled to be fully completed by April 2009. This development will allow for a 25 bed A&E assessment area and a further two floors will be utilised to provide some additional facilities and space for critical care, general medicine and general surgical departments. The 25-bay A&E facility is scheduled by the HSE to be fully operational by April next year.

Extensive electrical work has been carried out at Louth County Hospital to facilitate the installation of the new CT scanner. Two new modular theatres are also due to open shortly.

Finally, it should be emphasised that the HSE has given me an assurance that, in progressing the re-organisation of services in the North East, there will be no discontinuation of existing services until suitable alternative arrangements have been put in place.