asked the Minister for Health if she has received any request from the Southern Health Board to provide a major accident centre at Mallow Hospital, County Cork; and, if not, if she will direct that such a development takes place especially in view of the great services that the hospital staff have rendered.

I have not received such a request. I would hesitate to issue a direction on the lines suggested by the Deputy. It is primarily for the health board to define the roles of each of their hospitals in their major accident plan and the plan must take account of various possibilities as to the nature of these accidents and their location. Hence, in the case of Cork, it is understandable that the major specialised regional hospital at Wilton is best situated to cope with the variety of conditions and circumstances for which the plan must cope. I do not think it would be reasonable for the board to duplicate at Mallow all the facilities available at Wilton.

I would make it clear that I fully recognise the role that Mallow can play, in conjunction with the regional hospital, in the major accident plan and the Mallow Hospital admirably demonstrated its ability to perform in this role on the occasion of the tragic rail crash at Buttevant in August 1980.