David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would be amazed if these hospitals were completed, or if the first patients were to be seen in 2027. Given our experience of building hospitals, I would be amazed if the doors were opened by then. We see this with the children's hospital. We have to look at the bandwidth in the system as well, because the national maternity hospital will come very quickly. That will take a lot of planning from HSE estates, the Department and the HSE. I understand and appreciate that. Yet, I want to put it on the record of the committee that I am unhappy with the pace of delivery of these elective hospitals. I see them as central to delivering one of the core tenets of Sláintecare and we are a long way away from where we should be.

I want to move on to another element of the opening statement. It relates to the area of digital health. I will go first to Mr. O'Connor. On one of the previous occasions on which he was before the committee, we spoke about electronic patient records and where they will be. Is it the case that the first step along this journey will be what are called summary care records? When can we envisage that to be in place? What is the timeframe for that?