Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Regarding Leopardstown Park Hospital, there is capital funding in this area and I have raised the issue that the Deputy brought up. This is not the only matter on the list admittedly — there are a number hospitals in the programme — but a few hundred million euro per year is being put into the development of such hospitals.

The Deputy mentioned waiting lists and other areas. The other day I reviewed the enormous increase in throughput of outpatients and inpatients in the accident and emergency departments in our hospitals. There are hundreds of thousands more visits than there were three years ago and this is linked to an increase in population.

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