Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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It has been good to see Ms O'Connor acknowledge that. It is incredibly serious for the families affected. I was very pleased to be the third speaker this morning because it was after 10 a.m. I understand the HSE capital plan was published this morning at 10 a.m., which means the witnesses can answer my questions on it now. I was very pleased to see a couple of projects in particular. I was pleased to see improvements in the emergency department in Beaumont Hospital which has had many problems for a long time. The new ward block and high-dependency unit in Cappagh hospital was very much appreciated, as was the Finglas primary care centre, for which we have long waited and which I want to progress. I understand there is funding for purchase of the site for the centre, which has already been concluded. We are reporting in May for the 2022 plan and yet, there is no line of sight as to whether there is funding for its construction and building in 2023. Do we need to move towards the idea of a multi-annual capital plan? It seems mad that we are purchasing a site for primary care without clarity on funding. Perhaps the witnesses will tell me now that there is clarity on funding and that the primary care centre will be built in 2023 or, certainly, that funding will be in place for it.