asked the Minister for Health the present status of the James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, and the plans, if any, there are for its future.

41.

asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the proposals in the 1984 development brief for the upgrading of James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15; his views on these proposals; whether any funds have been provided in the 1988 capital allocation for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 41 together.

Responsibility for the funding and management of James Connolly Memorial Hospital was transferred to the Eastern Health Board on 30 September 1987. The hospital will contine to function as an acute general hospital providing general medical, general surgical and casualty services to its catchment population. It will continue to participate in the general arrangements for the provision of accident and emergency services and will cooperate with the Mater and Beaumont Hospitals in the provision of a wide range of out-patient clinics for the higher medical specialties. Services at the hospital will be fully integrated with all other health and welfare services provided in its catchment area.

The development brief for the James Connolly Memorial Hospital is being considered in my Department in the context of the capital funds available and of plans for the rationalisation of acute hospital services in the Dublin area.

Will the Minister agree that the James Connolly Memorial Hospital was intended originally as a hospital which would provide services to that very expanding area of Blanchardstown and environs and was to operate in tandem with the Beaumont Hospital and the Mater Hospital to service the north side and that included in the services which were planned were a paediatric service and a maternity service?Are those two services to be provided?

The future development of the James Connolly Memorial Hospital is being studied by my Department.At present the hospital has 308 beds and will continue to provide acute hospital services for the people in that area of the north city. I am glad to say that Beaumont Hospital was opened on Sunday and will improve considerably the level of service available in the north city.

The Minister did not reply to my question as to whether it was intended to proceed with the original plans for paediatric and maternity services at Blanchardstown.

I said a moment ago to Deputy De Rossa that the development brief for the James Connolly Memorial Hospital is being considered in my Department.

Reconsidered.

Has the Minister a recommendation from the joint committee of his Department and Comhairle na nOspidéal that that hospital would be downgraded to a community hospital?

There is a question relating to the joint committee the Deputy refers to later on the Order Paper. I have many recommendations. I am not sure what recommendations I have or have not in relation to hospitals around the country, but there is a priority question on that which we can deal with later.

When does the Minister hope to conclude his reconsideration of Blanchardstown Hospital? How soon will he know exactly what Blanchardstown Hospital will have?

I cannot say at this stage. In the past two days we have opened a major new hospital in the north city.

Closed it you mean.

We are studying the needs of the city and I am not in a position to state at this stage what will be done.

Will the Minister clarify whether the future of this hospital is now being decided in the Department of Health or in the EHB? Will he confirm that the process of the past year when services were knocked off this hospital is now ended and that its future is secure? Was that for 1986 or is it seen as an integral part of the services for Dublin for the future? The management of the hospital and the services will be primarily the responsibility of the EHB as the hospital has been handed over to them since 30 September.

I know there is a priority question in relation to the joint report of the Comhairle and the Department, but on this question regarding the Blanchardstown hospital surely the Minister can confirm or deny that part of that report is that the hospital would be downgraded to a community hospital.

The Deputy has already adverted to that.

The Minister has not replied to my question as to whether we have his assurance that the future of Blanchardstown Hospital which many people felt was assured for 1988 will be an integral part of the Dublin hospital services as an acute hospital for the foreseeable future.

Certainly the James Connolly Memorial Hospital will be an integral part of the acute hospital service in the north city area in the foreseeable future. I see no reason why its role should ever be diminished.