Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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28. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the development of the regional hospital for the north east in Navan, County Meath; and if he has received written correspondence from his ministerial colleagues seeking its advancement and development in the past three years. [12405/19]

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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38. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the development of the regional hospital for the north east; and if he has received correspondence from his ministerial colleagues seeking its advancement in the past three years. [12404/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 38 together.

There are currently no plans to construct a regional hospital for the north east in Navan.  The proposal that a regional hospital be developed in Navan originated in a report prepared for the HSE in 2008.  This proposal was superseded by the Government's decision, in 2013, to re-organise acute hospitals into Hospital Groups.

Our Lady’s Hospital Navan is part of the Ireland East Hospital Group. Every hospital in that Group, large and small, has a vital role to play within the Group, with smaller hospitals managing routine, urgent or planned care locally and more complex care managed in the larger hospitals.  

Currently, the Hospital Group is engaged in a programme of re-design work to further integrate and enhance the role of Navan Hospital within the Group and to ensure that it will provide more services safely and appropriately. It is intended that the Hospital Group will continue to engage closely with all interested parties to ensure that the needs of patients, staff, the local and wider community are addressed. 

I am in regular contact with my Ministerial colleagues with regard to Navan Hospital. 

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Minister for Health the status of investment in regional hospitals and in particular a hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12396/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The establishment of Hospital Groups has enabled a better configuration of hospital services with benefits relating to safety, quality, access, cost and sustainable medical staffing. The structure ensures that Hospitals working together in a Group will be able to support each other, providing a stronger role for smaller hospitals in delivering less complex care, and ensuring that those who require emergency or complex planned care are managed safely in larger hospitals.

The Smaller Hospitals Framework focuses in particular on the future role of smaller hospitals and outlines the wide range of services that can be provided within these smaller hospitals.  The Department of Health is committed to securing and further developing the role of our smaller hospitals, including Model 3 hospitals such as Cavan Hospital, with the expansion of services delivered in these hospitals, especially in services such as day surgery; ambulatory care; medical services and diagnostics.

Future investment in Cavan General Hospital will be considered within the overall acute hospital infrastructure programme, the prioritised needs of the hospital groups and within the overall capital envelope available to the health service.

Project Ireland 2040 provides €10.9 billion for Health capital developments across the country, including both national programmes and individual projects, across acute, primary and social care. Health capital projects and programmes currently underway will continue. As to be expected with such a plan, many proposals are at an early stage and will require to progress through appraisal, planning design and tender before a firm timeline or funding required can be established.

The planning and management of future health expenditure is considered as part of the annual estimates and budgetary process which seeks to balance available funding across all service areas to achieve the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users and prioritise areas of greatest need.