Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when construction of the new National Rehabilitation Hospital facility in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, will commence in view of the lengthy waiting lists for admission and the need for enhanced rehabilitative services at the sole rehabilitation facility for brain injury here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9748/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive have been involved in ongoing discussions with the National Rehabilitation Hospital regarding its development proposals.

The project was included in the 2007 Capital Plan up to pre-tender stage. More recently, approval was granted in May 2008 by the Health Service Executive to the National Rehabilitation Hospital to progress the project to tender stage. I am advised that tenders from selected contractors have since been received by the hospital.

Clearly, development proposals such as this need to be considered within the context of an overall policy for the delivery of the relevant service. In the case of rehabilitation, there is an increasing demand, not just in Dublin but across the country, for new services and a growing requirement to enhance existing services.

Against that background, in July 2008, the Department of Health and Children and the Heath Service Executive established a Working Group to develop a policy for the provision of rehabilitation services. Its terms of reference include the development of an appropriate policy framework for rehabilitation and a preferred model of care for the provision of rehabilitation services.

The Deputy will appreciate the need to ensure that the proposed development at the National Rehabilitation Hospital is in keeping with any future policy direction determined by the Minister in the light of the work of this Group. The Group is due to report later this year. The Deputy will also appreciate that the pace at which this project can progress depends upon the overall capital budget for health and other competing health projects. The Health Service Executive's Capital Plan for 2009, which reflects its revised capital allocation, is currently being considered within the Department of Health and Children and will be submitted to the Minister in the near future.

The proposed development at the National Rehabilitation Hospital will be considered further in the light of the findings and recommendations of the Working Group on the Provision of Rehabilitation Services, available health capital funding and other competing investment priorities.