This article is from page 4 of the 2006-07-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
The HSE has this week blamed the delay in progressing the development of Ennis General Hospital on planning stages to do with “additional costings which had to be done”.
A spokesperson for the HSE told The Clare People that the costings had been completed and would be brought before the National Hospitals Office Capital Steering group on July 20.
Sources suggested this week that the hospital design had been with the financial director of the HSE in Naas for an estimated six weeks.
Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) described the delay in advancing the €20 million redevelopment of the hospital as “unacceptable” and a “disgrace”.
The HSE rather than the Government was the target of the most strident comments made to date by Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) on the Ennis hospital issue.
“We are trying to move ahead with this project and, unfortunately, somebody somewhere in the bowels of the Health Service Executive is not proceeding with or delivering on this project in line with best practice. Such a state of affairs is unacceptable.
“I understand there is a phase two report, which the HSE indicated to Senator Daly and me last week would be signed without delay, but up until yesterday no signature was appended to that document and that has slowed down progress on the project,” he said.
But, Cllr Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) was critical of the senator’s outburst saying that it was time for him to stop trying to mislead the people of Clare, on the Government’s handling of the redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital.
“For the past number of days, Senator Dooley has been tripping over himself, running from newspaper to radio station, in an attempt to spin out a yarn that the delayed start of the hospital’s redevelopment has nothing to do with his hapless Government.
“The bottom line is that the long overdue upgrade of our hospital was put on the long finger some months ago, with the inexplicable and irresponsible decision, by Senator Dooley’s Government, to order a review of all general hospitals, including Ennis.”
A Fianna Fáil councillor and Clare representative on the HSE Forum West, Pat Daly, said he was disappointed that the design had not yet been signed off.
“It is important that the design is moved to the planning stage as soon as possible and not stuck above in a HSE office in Naas.”