Eyebrows raised at minister’s opposition to hospital project

EYEBROWS were raised earlier this week when Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s top man in Cork described a key project in the State’s co-location policy as “not sustainable”.

Few could understand why Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin decided to voice so publicly his opposition to plans by the Beacon Medical Group (BMG) to build a e250 million private hospital on the grounds of Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Fewer still could understand how the minister could sit around the Cabinet table in Dublin and support co-location, but then tell a residents’ meeting in his constituency that one of the State’s first co-location projects was “not sustainable”.

Cabinet decisions on policies like co-location have a direct impact on communities — just ask the people living around CUH.

Mr Martin must have known that the only suitable site in Cork for a co-location facility was always going to be the crowded CUH campus.

And, despite his statements to the contrary, it is hard to believe that the minister was not aware of the scale of the BMG’s proposed co-location facility in Cork, when it was the Government that awarded the contract to build it in the first place.

Word of the minister’s stance quickly filtered around Leinster House on Tuesday morning. Even more eyebrows were raised.

The former health minister knows only too well the chronic traffic and parking problems associated with the compact medical campus in the heart of suburban Wilton.

During his time as health minister, he oversaw its rapid development — the new maternity hospital, the new accident and emergency unit, the new cardiac and renal units.

Traffic volumes increased and parking problems in neighbouring estates grew.

Efforts to tackle the problems — like a widened hospital entrance and pay-parking — have not worked.

Much-hyped park and walk facilities for CUH staff have seen little take-up.

Fine Gael seized the opportunity and accused the minister of cynical parish-pump politics — backing co-location at national level but telling the locals something else.

He has attempted to explain his position by stating that there are two separate issues: he supports co-location in general, but the private hospitals must fit in with the proper planning of an area.

Mr Martin has said he intends to make his concerns about the Cork facility known to the city manager and planning officials.

However, whether he intends to lodge a planning objection remains to be seen.