Ms Laura Magahy:

We met Saolta officials as recently as yesterday and, as I said, we are meeting weekly. There is an acknowledgement that day surgery is required, so there is no denying that we need more day surgery happening all around the country and that that will help waiting lists. The issue is that the larger capacity requirements that Galway and, indeed, Cork have are outside the day surgery proposal. Therefore, they need to be considered as part of the national development plan. It is not that one model is wrong and one model is right. There is a recognition that what is being proposed in elective day surgery is additional to what is there at the moment, and that it will create capacity and free up capacity in existing hospital theatres, for example, and free up existing day surgery beds. However, it is not everything and we are not saying this is everything that is required. We recognise there is a need for additional investment in both Cork and Galway.

As I said, the first action was to ensure the site chosen is big enough. We are trying to ensure the proposal being offered by Cork and Galway, which is a different idea, can progress in tandem if the funding is there with the elective surgery proposal. They should not be seen in competition but rather as complementary. We have reached that level of understanding, I suppose, with both Galway and Cork and the discussions are proceeding in a good way.

Over the next number of weeks we are trying to prepare the plan for the consideration of everybody, including the funders, Oireachtas Members, the Government, etc.