Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will support a matter (details supplied). [20401/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive is fully aware of the financial challenges being faced by Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin and is involved in ongoing discussions with hospital management regarding its 2009 financial allocation and Service Plan. The priority is to ensure that services are maintained at an optimum level. Each hospital funded by the HSE is required to deliver services within the financial allocation provided.

The 2009 allocation to Our Lady's Children's Hospital is €139.6m. The allocation has increased by over €38m or 39% since 2004. In line with budgetary constraints across the system, the 2009 allocation is 3% below the 2008 allocation of €143.8m.

In the first three months of this year there were 2,745 treatments for children as in-patients and 3,841 treatments for children as day cases in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin. This represents 244 more treatments for children than during the same period in 2008. There were also 21,252 attendances in the Out Patients' Department, an increase of 1041 over the same period last year.

The HSE has advised that, based on the financial performance for the first quarter of 2009, the hospital should achieve a break even position at year end. This assessment takes account of cost saving measures totalling €6.5m which have been agreed with the hospital, and which are to be implemented over the remainder of the year. Much of the focus of the discussions between hospital management and the HSE has been on ensuring that all areas of non-pay expenditure are critically examined and that costs are reduced where possible. It has also proven necessary to take measures to reduce activity, including the closure of a theatre and a ward from this month. However, the hospital has confirmed that it is committed to delivering on the full level of its service plan commitments for 2009.