Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The re-siting of Temple Street hospital has been worked on for the past five years. It has taken people a little by surprise that a presentation was made on the contents of the McKinsey report on 31 January 2006. A formal letter inviting bids was received on 17 February and a deadline of 2 March was imposed for those tenders. This seems to be a highly unusual way to progress such a large project and there is an inevitable connection with the suspicions to which the Tánaiste referred.

Many people are a little bemused at the policy priority being given to this, welcome though it may be. The accident and emergency figures published this morning are at the lowest point to date. Even allowing for the dispute between the INO and the HSE, the accident and emergency situation is the worst crisis in the health services. Of the 200,000 medical cards which the Tánaiste promised in November 2004, only 10,000 have yet been awarded, 9,984 being the actual number. One would have thought these were the kinds of issues that policy-wise might be driven to the top of the agenda, but instead it is this issue which has emerged over a lightning period. Very little time has been given for submissions. When will the decision be made and who will make it?

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