Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

When did the Government receive the original legal advice that there was a legal obstacle concerning the transfer of the lands at Beaumont and St. James's hospitals? I have been told it received it early last summer before it concluded a programme for Government with the Green Party and before Deputy Finian McGrath signed up to it. In order to save their blushes this evening over having to vote for legislation that would transfer the lands directly, the Government has devised this concoction of emergency legislation into which it has slipped a provision concerning St. James's and Beaumont hospitals. When did the Government receive the original advice that there was a legal obstacle to the co-location plans for the two hospitals? Will the Taoiseach remove the relevant section from the Bill, in which case we can save ourselves much time tonight?

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