DÁIL QUESTIONS addressed to the Minister for Health and Children (Ms. Harney (Dublin Mid-West)) for ORAL ANSWER on 19/02/2009
45. To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress of her hospital co-location plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter.– David Stanton
For ORAL answer on Thursday, 19th February, 2009.
REPLY.
The co-location initiative is a complex process but it is an efficient means of delivering extra bed capacity. Significant progress has been made in advancing the individual projects involved. The Board of the HSE has approved preferred bidder status for the development of co-located hospitals at Beaumont, Cork University, the Mid-Western Regional Limerick, St. James’s, Waterford Regional and Sligo General Hospitals. Project Agreements for the Beaumont, Cork, Limerick and St James’s projects have been signed.
Planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála for the Beaumont project late last year. Planning permission for the Cork and Limerick projects has been granted by the local authorities concerned and appealed in each case to An Bord Pleanála. The preparatory work required to make the planning application for the St James’s project is underway.
The necessary preparatory work for the Project Agreements in respect of Waterford Regional Hospital and Sligo General Hospital is proceeding. A tender in respect of Connolly Hospital has been received and is under consideration. Work is being undertaken to finalise the Invitation to Tender (ITT) for Tallaght Hospital.
It is a matter for each successful bidder to arrange its finance under the terms of the relevant Project Agreement. It is certainly the case that the funding environment has changed significantly in the last number of months, and this has affected both the public and private sectors. The co-location initiative, like other major projects, has to deal with the new situation. The successful bidders are working on the details of contractual terms with banks and other arrangers of finance. The HSE is continuing to work with the successful bidders to provide whatever assistance it can to help them advance the projects.
QUESTION NO: 197 for WRITTEN ANSWER on 06/02/2008
* To ask the Minister for Health and Children the location of each of the sites that is planned to be made available to enable private hospitals to be built on public land as part of the co-location policy; the amount of land to be made available in each case; the market value of each of these sites; if the land in each case is to remain in the State’s ownership; if not, the way the land will be transferred; if it is her intention to make the land available without charge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. – David Stanton T.D
REPLY
The co-location initiative aims to make available approximately 1,000 public acute hospital beds for public patients, beds that are currently being used by private patients.
In accordance with the competitive dialogue procurement process which is being used, the Board of the HSE approved in July last successful bidder status for the development of co located hospitals at the following six hospitals sites:
- Waterford Regional Hospital
- Cork University Hospital
- Limerick Regional Hospital
- Sligo Regional Hospital
- Beaumont Hospital
- St James’s Hospital
Since then the hospitals and the bidders have been working towards finalising the Project Agreements. It is expected that the Project Agreements for Beaumont, Cork and Limerick Hospitals will be signed very soon. It is also anticipated that the signing of the Project Agreements for the other three sites will be concluded shortly thereafter.
Connolly Hospital and Tallaght Hospital, which are also participating in the co location initiative, are at an earlier stage of the procurement process. A tender in relation to Connolly Hospital is under consideration and it is expected that the invitation to tender (ITT) for Tallaght Hospital will issue in the near future.
Under the Project Agreements agreed with the HSE, the land on which the Hospitals will be built by the successful bidders, will be under a 65-year lease from the State at full market value. The intention is that no land will be sold to the successful bidders. This efficient utilization of public resources means that the State will receive an income for land over the 65 year period. The commercial value of each site has been determined by independent assessors.
The provision of 1,000 beds will result in no direct capital costs to the Exchequer. Capital costs will be met by the successful bidders.