Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

We are dealing with the HIQA report, which has been recommended. I agree about the overall capacity that is needed. I want to prioritise inpatient capacity, obviously. I have suggested - and I appreciate that it was before the Deputy arrived - that HIQA give a detailed briefing to the committee on its report and analysis. I am firmly of the view that more hospital capacity is needed. What I do not know the answer to is how we might, for example, manage the specialties. I do not want necessarily to replicate a model 4 hospital. There may be a way, under the same governance, of distilling the specialties. I just do not know the answer to that and I would like to tease it out. In principle, all I can see is that region growing. It is a good thing. It needs more hospital capacity generally and I am open to all three options, without debate, ambiguity or question. Prioritising the beds that are needed, let us look at what the best option is.

The Deputy has also given me the opportunity to reiterate that we are developing the model 2 hospitals in the way already outlined and that HIQA says is important. There is absolute openness here, but we need to figure out the how and what and we will not do that today or tomorrow.