David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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15. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide funding to facilitate the opening of a specialised heart failure unit in Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42970/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Cork University Hospital provides a tertiary referral service for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery to the southern region. CUH also provides extensive interventional cardiology services and a 24/7 Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory providing 24/7 PPCI. In late 2010, following investment of €85m, the Cardiac Renal Centre was opened at CUH. The development which spans some 13,000m²over 6 floors, represented a very significant service development in the region.

At this stage I am not in a position to commit to funding a specialised Heart Failure Unit at the hospital. The priority to be afforded to the development of such a dedicated service must, in the first instance, be considered by the HSE, in the context of the development of the Strategic Plan for the South South West Hospital Group.