Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The HSE has indicated that it anticipates that the overall construction and commissioning period will be between 26 and 30 months in each case. The procurement process is at an earlier stage in the cases of Connolly Hospital and Tallaght Hospital, which are also participating in the co-location initiative. A tender has been received in respect of Connolly Hospital and is under consideration. Work is being undertaken to finalise the invitation to tender for Tallaght Hospital. The provisions of the project agreements under which bidders entered bids are based on the principle that the State and the HSE should work together to ensure that these projects get up and running. The HSE is involved in ongoing discussions on implementation matters. It is supported by a steering group that comprises legal and financial experts and representatives of the Department of Health and Children. The HSE is working with the developers at each site to facilitate the advancing of the financing of the projects in the context of Government policy on co-location and the provisions of the project agreements between the parties. In all projects of this scale, discussions take place in line with the normal analysis banks make of all risks before they finalise loan conditions. As the Deputy indicated, co-location is consistent with the 2001 health strategy, which stated that the "Government is committed to exploring fully the scope for the private sector to provide additional capacity".

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