Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One way to judge the size of the project is by the number of staff who are going to be moving in there. Going back over what other people have raised about accommodation, it is a huge challenge. I know of people who worked in the UK, and at every hospital they went to, there was accommodation available to them, and that was more than 20 or 25 years ago. We have done nothing on that. With the colleges we are beginning to get it right with student accommodation, but it is 20 or 25 years too late. Do we need to start building this issue into healthcare planning? It is not just about beds in the hospital. We have very many junior doctors who have six- or 12-month contracts, and it is likewise with nurses. They need training and to move from hospital to hospital. Do we now need to change policy in this area, especially in the major cities like Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway? Do we need to do a lot more planning in that area?