Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

All of that information is contained in the response to Question No. 867 from the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, the former Tánaiste. It does not hold much weight that the Taoiseach could not have known of such an important intent on the part of a key Minister and Ministry within his Cabinet and Government. How can the Taoiseach reconcile such a proposal? Why, even at this point, can he not give an assurance not to commit the State and future Government to a set of contracts, one or more depending on whatever number of the eight designated sites will move towards that within the coming weeks? Does the Taoiseach not believe it is wrong of him and his Government to commit this State and future Government to contracts that he, this Government, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive cannot currently deliver, and with a general election pending? That is not acting in the public interest, apart from the fundamental flaw in the very notion of co-location and the reality of closing the potential to develop public hospitals on public sites into the future.

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