Harney considering military hospital

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has confirmed that she is considering using a vacant Dublin military hospital in an effort to ease A&E overcrowding in the capital.

Reports this morning said the Department of Defence had offered to make the 100-bed St Bricin’s Hospital available to the Mater Hospital in an effort to ease overcrowding in the latter’s A&E department.

St Bricin’s is located around two miles from the Mater.

Asked about the matter this morning, Ms Harney said the use of the military hospital had been considered before and the facility was found to be unsuitable.

However, she confirmed that she had ordered a fresh inspection to see if the situation had changed and vowed: “If that hospital can be used, it will be used.”

Liam Doran, the general secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation, has welcomed the move, but has asked why it took so long.

"St Bricin's offers some solution, we would feel, to the A&E overcrowding and our only question is why has it taken so long for one arm of Government to tell another arm of Government that we have beds that could be properly and correctly used as opposed to having people on trolleys for extended periods," he said.