Portiuncula and local hospital projects
Eugene Murphy raises concern that promised developments at Portiuncula, Roscommon and Carrick-on-Shannon seem stalled. The Taoiseach says Portiuncula needs modernisation, wants the new block built as soon as possible, but cannot give a date and says the Minister for Health will update the Deputy later.
I join the Taoiseach, my party leader and others in extending sympathy to the family of Michael Lynch. I knew him through my radio work in the past. I have questioned the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health on many occasions about projects in my local area such as the 50-bed accident and emergency unit at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, the 50-bed unit for older people at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Roscommon and the development at St. Patrick's hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon. There is concern that there seems to be no talk about these developments at present. I cannot prove it, but it appears that nothing is being said about these projects because of the difficulties at the children's hospital. The Ballinasloe project is shovel-ready. All it needs is a Government announcement. As the two Ministers of State from County Galway who are sitting behind the Taoiseach will be aware, there is a lot of chaos in the accident and emergency department at the hospital. It is very hard for the staff to cope. What the patients are going through is unacceptable. I ask the Taoiseach to indicate when the Government might announce the Portiuncula project. It is crucial that we get the go-ahead for it. I am pleading with the Taoiseach today because I have received so many requests to get something done about this matter. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has received similar requests. Can we look forward to the announcement of the date on which this work will commence?
Comment on this
In my time as Minister for Health, I had the opportunity to visit Portiuncula Hospital, which performs very well and sees relatively low numbers of patients on trolleys. The facilities at the hospital are very out of date, however. I would be very keen to see the new block under construction as soon as possible. I cannot give the Deputy a date on it. I am sure the Minister for Health, who is at a joint committee meeting at the moment, will give the Deputy an update as soon as he gets an opportunity to do so. I remind the Deputy that less than 20% of the €10 billion ten-year health envelope for new hospitals, primary care centres, IT equipment etc. will be spent on the children's hospital. More than 80% of it is available to be spent on other projects all over the country.