Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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129. To ask the Minister for Health if he will approve funding for the development of a new Central Sterile Supply Department sterilisation unit at Roscommon County Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6274/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The endoscopy unit project currently underway at Roscommon General Hospital also includes a decontamination unit.

Any future investment at Roscommon County Hospital must be considered within the overall acute hospital sector infrastructure programme, within the overall capital envelope available to the health service and in the context of the establishment of hospital groups. In 2015, there will be a structured integration of all hospitals in the Saolta University Hospital Group. This will provide further support for all hospitals in delivering high-quality, safe patient care in a cost-effective manner.

There will always be more projects than can be funded by the Exchequer and 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. It is essential that all projects, other than those where existing contractual commitments are in place, are assessed on their merits to ensure that the limited capital funding available goes to those developments which address the greatest service need. The HSE is concentrating on applying the limited funding available for infrastructure development in the most effective way possible to meet current and future needs.