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

One of the things we do not want is a situation where people have to go to Dublin when we can provide care in Cork if we have the facility. The problem we now have with the pediatric unit in Cork is that it is no longer adequate for the population in the area. We have got planning permission. The issue is not that we need to get planning and do a design. That is all done. All the homework is done. The question now is when we can put it on the list for moving forward to construction stage.