Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the capital funding which will be made available for the implementation of the reconfiguration plan for hospitals in the north east; the timeframe for the building of a new regional hospital; her plans to ensure that existing hospitals can cope with demands on them in the meanwhile; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6553/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The current configuration of services in the North East is unsustainable from a safety and financial perspective. In order to address this, acute and complex care is being moved from the current five hospital sites to two at Cavan and Drogheda. Enhancements to community services, including the necessary developments to support care in the community through development of primary care teams and primary and social care networks will be progressed in parallel with the reconfiguration of acute services. This includes the provision of a CT service in Monaghan to provide enhanced diagnostics to local GPs.

Substantial levels of capital investment to support the implementation of the programme over the period of the National Development Plan is envisaged. The latest estimated costings for each project are currently being worked out. The HSE is finalising a Capital Plan for the period 2009-2013 which is required to be submitted to me for my approval with the agreement of the Minister for Finance. It is envisaged that acute hospital capital developments proposed for the North East are likely to include improvements to accommodation at all hospitals in the region; additional bed capacity, including high dependency beds, at Cavan and Drogheda; MRI facilities at Cavan; improvements to accident and emergency facilities at Cavan and Drogheda and improved theatre facilities at Cavan and Dundalk.

Work is proceeding on consideration of the new regional hospital. It is envisaged that most of the expenditure will occur after 2013.

Planned community developments to support the reconfiguration of acute services includes the provision of new primary care centres across the region; additional and replacement community nursing unit beds; rehabilitation and step-down convalescent beds and the provision of additional care packages to ensure more appropriate hospital bed utilisation.