Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is an extraordinary facility. I believe we need to keep a very clear focus on next year. If Royal BAM and BAM UK and Ireland can hand us the keys in June 2025, we have been consistently told by CHI that there is a minimum six-month commissioning phase. We are looking to accelerate some of that process. As the Deputy will appreciate, nobody can give a precise deadline, but I think we must be laser-focused on the end of next year. Now, the commissioning team in CHI, and Mr. Lynch may have a view on this point, has strongly stated previously that a transition in winter is not what is preferred because of the pressures we are all aware of. We need to be led by the clinicians on this, because it involves a clinical view as well as an operational view. However, it is worth noting that there has been a very significant increase in staffing in CHI during the lifetime of this Government. We have now for the first time funded the RSV vaccine, which should make a difference in terms of winter pressures, at least in the national children's hospital in the accident and emergency department and in critical care units. This is, therefore, something we will be asking the commissioning team to review-----