Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide details on which hospital accident and emergency units will close or limit opening hours as a result of health service cutbacks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25795/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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My Department understands from the HSE that it is not limiting emergency department opening hours, at present, as a result of health service cutbacks. The focus for 2010 is to continue to provide for emergency and elective admissions in hospitals by a continued shift to day case treatments and the development of a number of initiatives such as Medical Assessment Units and their use for emergency admissions. The HSE is also engaged in significant reconfiguration initiatives aimed at ensuring the best care is available to patients. The result of all of these efforts is the enhancement of ED services in some hospitals (e.g. Limerick Regional, Galway University, Cork University, Waterford Regional) and the transformation of other hospitals into urgent care centres with appropriate secondary care services.