Vol. 541 No. 5
214 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding he will make available to the Western Health Board to develop the Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23376/01]
I have agreed to provide funding of £11 million (13.97 million) to enable the Western Health Board to purchase Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, from the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood. The Order took a decision a few years back to withdraw from control of the hospital. Discussions on transferring the ownership of the hospital to the Western Health Board have now concluded.
Portiuncula has played an important role in the provision of public hospital services in the region and it was important that it be retained as a provider of public hospital services. With the acquisition of Portiuncula the integrated strategic development of hospital services for the region will be assured.
I am committed to the continued development of acute hospital services in the Western Health Board region. The question of developing acute hospital services at Portiuncula will be considered in the context of the additional funding available for the development of acute hospital services in the region during 2002, the competing priorities for development and the Western Health Board's service plan for 2002.
