Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

They did not, but they found deficiencies in management. The captain of any ship should be on the ship, not based remotely from it.

I will move on to the elective hospital, where things are going in the future. Ward 8D, where I recently visited someone, is incredible. It is the future, and it is where we all want to get to. We are supportive of this. The ward is what we hope the new block will look like. In terms of the elective hospital, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, UPMC, has planned a private medical centre in Coonagh, right on the Clare-Limerick border. What engagement has the HSE had with the latter? Paul Reid and Robert Watt informed the committee a few weeks ago that there is no need for an elective hospital in the mid-west region. The witnesses are telling us that there is a need for one. Can the HSE categorically state that such a facility is needed, indicate where it should be located and inform us how it is making that happen?