Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Health the status of additional staff and improved facilities at a location (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2512/16]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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138. To ask the Minister for Health if he will reverse an earlier statement in relation to a hospital (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2513/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 138 together.

The Department and HSE are committed to securing and further developing the role of Portlaoise Hospital. The future of the hospital is as a constituent hospital within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. That Group also includes St James's; Tallaght; Tullamore; Naas and the Coombe Hospitals. The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group is currently working to finalise the development of a draft plan on future services at Midlands Regional Portlaoise Hospital. The plan will be informed by three reports by HIQA, the HSE and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) which all recommended enhancements to services at the hospital.

The primary goal is to provide high-quality sustainable patient care at the hospital. Central to achieving this goal is ensuring that all improvements are informed by local views, including those of GPs and patients. While initial consultations have taken place, further and extensive engagement is planned. This will include GPs, patients, hospital staff, elected representatives, all local support services and the general public.

Any change to services at Portlaoise Hospital, will be undertaken in a planned and orderly manner and will take account of existing patient flows, demands in other hospitals and the need to develop particular services at Portlaoise in the context of overall service reorganisation in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.

In relation to your specific query on the status of additional staff, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.