Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There have been questions as to whether any of the witnesses have ever built a hospital. There would be very little point in having somebody on the board who built a hospital 50 years ago, because there has been such a change in the way we deliver healthcare. I would like to make the point that it is fairly irrelevant whether someone has built a hospital, because the hospital being built here is unlike anything that has been built before in this jurisdiction. Globally, it is to be the most advanced in the world, so I do not think the person exists who has done this before. All we can hope is that with Mr. Gunning and the rest of the witnesses we can apply all their experiences and learnings and deliver the best hospital possible that will not go on fire and that will deal with children in the best possible way.

I will finish on the following point. I was really uncomfortable with Crumlin hospital on Sunday night. Unfortunately I have been a regular enough visitor over the last ten years and, as it turned out, I had the least sick child in the place, but it is just not acceptable. This committee has to get the message out that it is unsustainable to have children in an accident and emergency department. I was into my eighth hour by the time I gave up. In terms of provision of health care, it is really not acceptable in a country like this to have that kind of scene. As a Deputy, I was embarrassed to be there and I was afraid someone might recognise me. I was trying to keep undercover. I wish the witnesses good luck with the project and I hope they make up the time that has been lost and that we deliver in 2022.