Mr. Bernard Gloster:

There are three things that can assist in fast-tracking projects compared to what happened heretofore. The first is the change to the public spending code and the number of steps that introduces. To be fair, it introduces those steps to try to make sure we do the right thing, but the change in the cap on that will certainly help, and will help in the case of Galway, given the size and scale of those projects. Robert Watt has committed to looking at the Department’s approval processes around the various steps associated with the money. Equally, I have agreed with the chair of the HSE that, before the end of this year, we are going to revisit every step of the process within the HSE to see how many steps can be condensed or reduced in terms of the HSE's decision to do this.

What I am particularly concerned about is the fact there are a lot of projects for which no money is allocated yet. For example, we are hoping to advance a project and we have gone for a market expression of interest for 1,500 beds. We do not have any money for them yet but we are trying to get ahead of the process by doing the market expression in order to be ready while the Minister is negotiating the money with the Government. We will do everything to reduce those steps. The part I am most interested in is not the pre-approval stage but, once we get the money, how quickly we can move that. In the context of, for example, the discussion we are having around the 1,500 beds, using modern build technology is probably the shortest way we can condense the time without losing the quality.