Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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135. To ask the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 356 of 20 October 2015, when exactly, and by whom, the decision was made to downgrade Saint Bricin's Military Hospital to a military medical facility; if this decision was communicated to the Defence Forces representative associations and to the Houses of the Oireachtas; the reason Saint Bricin's is listed as the Defence Forces logistics base hospital in all relevant Defence Forces regulations, administrative instructions and orders, if that is no longer the case; given that Saint Bricin's continues to offer a number of services comparable to those offered in the Health Service Executive's county and regional hospitals, including radiology, day surgery, lying-in nursing services, consultant clinics and a laboratory service, none of which are offered in the other military medical facilities, the reason for the decision to downgrade the hospital; the Defence Forces' current infrastructure priorities; his views on whether the Defence Forces medical facilities have been given adequate priority in this Government's term of office; if he will commit to advancing the project to replace Saint Bricin's immediately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38847/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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While commonly known as St Bricin’s Hospital, in practice, this military medical facility provides only General Practitioner and limited out-patient services. There have been no lying-in facilities utilised for Defence Forces personnel in St Bricin’s since December 2012.The closure of St. Bricin’s Hospital, Dublin and other military establishments was announced as part of the Budget in October, 2008. The decision was linked to the decentralisation programme. As part of the implementation of the Government decision to relocate the Defence Forces HQ under decentralisation, it was proposed that services being provided by St Bricin’s would transfer to The Curragh. It was anticipated at the time that St. Bricin’s would be disposed of, taking account of market conditions, so as to maximise the return to the Defence Forces and generate funding for reinvestment in Defence Forces equipment and infrastructure in accordance with Government policy. That decision included a provision that St Bricin’s would remain in operation as a military medical facility pending the provision of suitable alternative facilities. As I have previously advised, to date it has not proved possible to provide alternative facilities within available resources and the Defence Forces priorities in relation to infrastructure investment.

The Department is engaged in an ongoing capital building programme designed to modernise and enhance the training, operational and accommodation facilities available to members of the Defence Forces. The programme focuses mainly on infrastructural projects comprising the construction of new buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings and facilities.

Current infrastructural priorities include:

Replacement of storage buildings in The Curragh,

Transport workshop refurbishment at barracks in Kilkenny and Limerick,

Completion of a new locker block in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin,

Remediation works in McKee Barracks, Dublin,

Upgrading of dining facilities at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel,

Upgrading of fire fighting system at the Oil Wharf, Naval Base, Haulbowline, Cork.

The intention is that St Bricin’s will continue as a military medical facility providing medical services for members of the Defence Forces for the foreseeable future.

The provision of all necessary medical services to Defence Forces personnel is given adequate priority by me and the military authorities. The optimum method of delivering these services is the subject of constant review.