Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, the site would have to be in the Cork city area. It must be near the hospital for collaborative work and ease of movement of staff, patients and so forth. I am sure a site can be found. What we must do is make a decision to find a site in the first place.

On a broader issue, we talk about the hospital groups, the collaborative work that universities do with industry and bringing that into the sphere. How far has that been developed with UCC, for example? There are many pharmaceutical industries in the Cork area, while in Galway there are many medical device industries, so there is huge experience available in industry. On top of that, and as we move to centres of excellence and a stronger academic and teaching input, with regard to the attraction and retention of consultants, do the witnesses see the current hospital group structure as the way to go to ensure we can attract the best because of the stronger emphasis on academic research and innovation, along with the potential for international collaboration? In addition, there are the sub-specialties. If we have a hospital grouping system, who decides at a national level about sub-specialties, which obviously cannot be in every hospital group? Who will decide that sphere of health care? Was that taken into account when considering the new hospital, elective surgeries and so forth?