asked the Minister for Health when it is proposed to open the new maternity unit at Cahercalla, Ennis, County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

As the Deputy is already aware, the maternity unit at the St. John of God Hospital, Cahercalla, has been completed for some time and the Mid-Western Health Board have been examining the means whereby the necessary resources can be made available for the opening of this facility.

The matter was discussed in detail at a recent meeting of the health board and I have since given my approval to the members' decision that the new unit be opened by a re-deployment of resources from services which are considered to merit a lower priority.

The board's management team are at present discussing arrangements for opening the unit with the Sisters of the St. John of God Order and so I am not in a position to give a definite opening date at this stage. I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department are in regular contact with the board on this issue and I am confident that it will be possible to bring this service into operation in the near future.

Will the Minister say in what way does he consider the Mid-Western Health Board have been ineffective?

The health board indicated they required an additional 21 staff to commission the new facility, namely, a consultant-anaesthetist, 14 nurses, four catering and housekeeping staff, one junior hospital doctor and one clerk-typist. The agreement with the St. John of God Hospital provides that the consultant and support medical staff for the unit will be employed and paid for by the health board. Therefore, the annual cost of running the unit is about £420,000 in 1984 prices. We have had considerable discussion with the health board on the closure of Edenvale Geriatric Hospital, which, should have been closed long ago as it is totally unfit. However, members of the health board were reluctant to agree to its closure until the Department provided additional beds for geriatric patients in other district hospitals. We informed the health board there were sufficient beds in County Clare for geriatrics and we asked them to come up with an alternative strategy. There have been legal proceedings regarding the failure to open the unit and the Mid-Western Health Board have been served with a High Court summons. We urged the board to examine their priorities again and they and the Department of Health are reaching a reasonable accommodation on the matter now. By and large our view in relation to Edenvale and the other way in which the situation should be managed has prevailed.

Is the Minister suggesting that, if the funding becomes available within the health board resources for the extra posts, he would be prepared to sanction the additional posts?

The posts are not in question. What is in question is the transfer of resources. Let us take the example of Edenvale. The cost of running Edenvale with 21 staff is about £300,000 per year. We have maintained it is no longer suitable for geriatric care as the premises are very old. It has serious fire hazards and, as a consequence, the first floor of the premises cannot be used. It is not even served by a public water supply but yet the health board members wanted to keep it open. It is quite incredible.

I have not got an answer to my question.

We pointed out that if Edenvale was closed the revenue for that hospital could be transferred to Cahercalla quite comfortably.

Perhaps I am being dense but I do not think I have got an answer to my question. Is the Minister suggesting that if the Mid-Western Health Board can find funds within their own allocation they can go ahead and appoint the 21 people who are required for Cahercalla?

No. I am not suggesting that. I have pointed out they would require additional staff. There would be no difficulty as far as we are concerned with regard to the consultant-anaesthetist.

Would the Minister be prepared to meet the health board halfway and allocate half the staff number?

I have met them in all kinds of ways but I have had to come to a final position regarding Edenvale. There is no way I will change my view in that connection. Quite frankly, I am fearful there may be a fire on that premises that has not even a public water supply. They are bringing water to the hospital in open lorries but the health board still will not close it. It is the old story of "what we have we keep". That is the problem.

Is the Minister satisfied that the members of the health board have acted properly in relation to the opening of Cahercalla? Is he satisfied that he has done enough with the members to get them to agree?

We cannot conduct an inquiry at Question Time into the performance of their duties by the members of the health board.

I have bent over backwards on this matter and I will not bend any further because I do not want to break my back.

Can the Minister give us some date for the opening?

I would love to do it before the local elections, if that is any help to the Deputy.