Mr. Liam Woods:

Yes, it has been studied and a report is available to us from the Department with which we have collaborated, as have colleagues in the INMO.

There was a specific question about University Hospital Limerick and building of the 96 bed unit on the grounds. The ICU building, the dialysis service investment and the new emergency department will I hope come onstream later this year. There is also the education block at the back of the site. They have all been significant developments, although there is an issue with the basic ward stock, on which I have corresponded with the hospital. I can assure Senator Kieran O'Donnell that we will issue from our estates department approval to commence the design phase. The Senator referred to the steps beyond that phase. There is a procurement process and there will be a design phase followed by planning, as I am sure he is aware. I could correspond with him or ask the estates department to set out the steps involved in the process. We are also involved in a mid-term capital review process. If I understand the question the Senator asked, it was about the availability of funding when the design phase was complete, when the building work would start and there would be JCBs on site. The natural flow of the project will probably take a year or a little more, from now until there is a design and subsequently a move towards planning. Our position, in terms of the global capital base of the HSE, will be known to us at that stage, pending completion of the mid-term review which will take place in the coming months.