John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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415. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 27 November 2014 if he will confirm the design team has been appointed to this project and is working on stage 1 design; if the tendering process has begun; if the tendering documents have been forwarded to the construction industry seeking a reputable builder to complete the project; if so, when a builder will be selected; the estimated timeframe for completion once work begins; if the necessary funds have now been ring-fenced for the project; the reason for the delay in the progression of this project in view of the fact that this project has been promised since 2008 and at numerous meetings the Health Service Executive south has indicated to both this Deputy and local councillors in the County Waterford area that it is a priority; the position regarding the assurances that the project would be completed prior to the last local election six months ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3940/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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It is Government policy to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Where this is not feasible, the health service supports access to appropriate quality long-term residential care, including the provision of financial assistance under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. Providing public residential care for older persons forms a significant and crucial part of the services provided. Our overall objective is to protect the viability of as many units as possible, within the funding and staffing resources available. Therefore improving the supports available for older persons is a significant commitment in our Programme for Government.

All developments must be addressed in the light of the resources available and based on priority of need. HIQA has indicated that a number of units do not fully meet the standards one would expect to find in a modern nursing home. This is not surprising given the age and structure of many of our public nursing homes. Currently the funding for the Community Nursing Unit (CNU) programme focuses on the upgrade and refurbishment of existing facilities to achieve HIQA compliance.

The Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services. This includes provision of the appropriate infrastructure which supports service delivery, such as the facilities at this particular location. Given that demand for capital finance for the Community Nursing Unit programme alone far exceeds the funding available, investment must be allocated as objectively as possible, based on the HSE's assessment of priorities of needs.

The HSE has identified this location as a priority location for a new Community Nursing Home unit. The design team has been appointed. Currently it is projected that a planning application could be lodged with the local authority in Q2 2015. Following the award of planning it is expected that the project will progress to the tendering / construction phase in late 2015. In advance of the award of planning permission it is not possible, at this point in time to be definitive about a time frame for completion once work begins, other than to say that it is possible that the construction of a CNU could be completed within twelve months of appointing a contractor. All Government Departments and agencies, including the HSE, that are funded from the Exchequer must comply with EU Directives and national guidelines on procurement and in this regard the HSE's selection of a contractor will be in accordance with this process.

As with all capital projects, the CNU infrastructure programme which includes this project, must be considered within the overall capital envelope available to the health service. There will always be more projects than can be funded by the Exchequer. There is limited funding available for new projects, over the next multi-annual period 2015-2019, given the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place. Therefore the reason capital funding is not ring-fenced by project is to ensure that the HSE has flexibility to manage within its voted capital allocation in the event that one or more of the hundreds of construction projects underway at any time do not progress as scheduled. Indenting rather than ring-fencing enables the HSE, to leverage its capital allocation efficiently, so that it delivers the maximum number of priority projects for the funding available.