Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

Thank you. The next slot is mine and after that it will be Fianna Fáil. I would like to start with a letter that the committee received this morning from the Minister for Health in relation to CHI. As we all know, we have seen serious issues in CHI with scandal after scandal in terms of the unauthorised springs, the unnecessary hip surgeries, the abuse of the National Treatment Purchase Fund and issues with culture, governance, internal communications and quite concerning reports there. I do welcome the news that there is a new chair, two new members of the board, and that CHI will be integrated into the HSE.

What impact will that have on the hospital? Will it impact on the opening date of the hospital? Does it mean that it is now a HSE-run hospital?