Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It would be highly desirable to move ahead with it. There are funding priorities and we have had discussions about capital. I would not want to mislead the committee by suggesting we have the funding to do it. We need to have another look at it as the year progresses. There are many sceptics out there, though I know the Deputy is not one, but there is no doubt that we are going to build the hospital on the site and that there will be tri-location. It would be a good confidence-building measure to show a bit of progress on it. I have spoken to the master of the Coombe Hospital about this. In the context of meeting the risks of our current maternity services, this year we have decided to prioritise the works at the Coombe theatres.

On the financial situation of the HSE, we will shortly put in place a new board and that will be a key governance control which we have been lacking for a number of years. A new director general-CEO will take office next month and I look forward to this committee having an opportunity to talk to him. I will be clear with him on his budgetary responsibilities because we cannot have a repeat of last year. It is something we can deal with in one year but not over two years. I understand that the HSE is technically on profile in terms of its costs but I will not mislead the committee by suggesting there are no emerging pressures, on which the Deputy has commented in recent days. There is a need for the HSE to put a pay and numbers strategy in place so that we can have realistic recruitment plans that match the budget, and where individual hospital managers or CEOs do not make their own recruitment decisions. There has to be a centralised approach and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and I will keep a close eye on this. We are awaiting the final outturn from 2018 which will be audited shortly and it will be important to see what that amounts to.