Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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408. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which the Naas Hospital development plans are proceeding; when work is likely to start on-site given the urgent necessity for the extension of the facilities and the necessity to meet the increasing demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32811/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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There are a number of projects included in the Capital Programme for 2021 at Naas General Hospital. These include the Day Procedures/Endoscopy Unit, Oncology and Physical Therapy Unit and a new Acute Mental Health Unit.

Funding has been allocated to progress the project design for the Day Procedures/Endoscopy Unit Oncology and Physical Therapy Unit project. The procurement of the design team is underway and nearing completion.

The scope of the Acute Mental Health Unit has changed considerably and is currently being reviewed. The service area has progressed an extensive exercise to examine latest delivered mental health projects including the National Forensic Mental Health Service Hospital facility in Portrane. Following this review, service requirements have been rescoped to incorporate different room layouts, wider corridors, and additional recreation space. Other scope changes have been made such as inclusion of a decking carpark and seclusion rooms. The schedule of accommodation has just been confirmed and the design team are now working on the Stage 1 report.

The delivery of capital projects is a dynamic process and subject to successful completion of the various approval stages as well of availability of funding.

The development of a modular isolation unit providing 12 single isolation rooms at Naas General Hospital is currently being progressed. The final contract to construct this unit is expected to be agreed within the next two weeks with offsite fabrication and associated site works commencing in September. Construction of the modular unit is due for completion in Q1 2022.