This article is from page 3 of the 2008-07-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
THE long promised €39 million for the development at Ennis Gen- eral Hospital is to be included in the HSE’s capital funding programme for this year, despite assurances ear- lier in the year that the money had been redirected to projects in the east coast.
That is according to Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley who said that he and minister of state Tony Killeen (FF) got reassurances from the Minister
for Health that Ennis General Hos- pital would be on this year’s capital jeyuescan:beaneaten
In March the Clare TD had been critical of the HSE claiming that they were favouring projects in the east coast ahead of the promised funding for Ennis.
Speaking in the Dail at the time he said that the HSE had tried to stop the development at every opportuni- ty by putting forward “the notion of value for money audits, cost-benefit analyses etc and has tried at every
opportunity to block the project”.
At the end of March, the HSE’s hospital networks manager, John Hennessy, said that while he hopped the project would go to tender shortly it would not do so in 2008.
The HSE official said that although there was money available for ena- bling works the serious capital in- vestment – the €39 million promised – would not be available this year.
“As far aS we are concerned we are proceeding without planning and preparations, and we expect the
funding to be there in 2009.”
Deputy Dooley said that he was delighted that the Clare politicians were successful in convincing the minister of the needs of Ennis Gen- eral Hospital.
“It 1s particularly satisfying for us who fought for it to be included. Up until recently it was agreed to exclude it from the programme. It is satisfy- ing to retain the €40 million alloca- tion when we are going through a changing time in the economy and are being asked to curb spending,”
he said.
‘This is a vote of confidence in the staff at the hospital particularly in dealing with the recent outbreak of C-diff,’ he added.
“I now look forward to finalising the construction details and I would be hoping this project will finally commence next year.”
Member of the HSE’s west forum Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said he was de- lighted with the pending announce- ment. “We have worked hard for this,’ he said.