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

It is a political question, but it is also within the remit of the Department. It took nine months for the Department of Health to send a proposal from the South-Southwest Hospital Group to the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There must be a way to expedite these projects when the private sector can build a hospital in 23 months. When talking about healthcare, there is a need to look at the delays in the delivery of infrastructure. Why does it take so long within the public service mechanism?