Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I am sure the Deputy appreciates, and I honestly do not say this in an effort to be glib, as Minister for Health, I do not inspect the airflow or look at technical reports on the airflow within individual operating theatres, nor would Deputy Doherty expect me to. I know he is not suggesting that I would be involved in the design of a hospital to the level of the airflow parameters within an individual operating theatre. I do not get involved at that level.

Regarding the question about whether the development board accept that there is a fundamental problem here, the advice I have is that the board does not accept that. I am sure the people referred to by the Deputy are eminent experts in airflow in operating theatres and have clearly given advice that has been passed on to the Deputy and his party, but there are many other elements within an operating theatre. We will see, but it may be the case that the many other experts involved were giving other advice and that in terms of sequencing of such works, it might have worked for airflow but may not have worked for other mechanical and electrical elements or other parts of the hospital. We do not know. What we have is documentation provided to Sinn Féin suggesting that experts in airflow in operating theatres raised an issue. The development board is looking into it and the advice I have is that it does not accept the view that has been given to it.