Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to highlight to Mr. Woods that I spoke to the former Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, in April on this subject. He agreed with the Department that this was classed as essential work. It is beyond understanding why it has been suspended for so long.

Earlier, Deputy Cullinane mentioned the procurement process for the second cath lab. This has now been extended by another four months without any understanding. We are to have an Office of Government Procurement review of a review of a tender that has now taken 20 months to compile. Will Mr. Woods please use his office to look at this? We had a commitment that building works could start in October. There is no reason they should not. This laboratory is needed. Patients are being added to the list every month. It is absolutely unacceptable that potentially critically ill patients are being denied diagnostic testing because of administration and the ongoing failure to deliver.