James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister. It is timely that we should discuss the matter because, as my colleague, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan mentioned a few weeks ago, we are heading towards the fifth anniversary of the announcement of the plan, which was to fast track the 1,000 public beds. Not a single brick has been laid, a sod turned or a bed delivered. Will the Minister confirm whether finance has been secured for the projects and when construction will begin? Will she remind the House of the total cost to the State of tax reliefs for co-located hospitals, should they go ahead? The banking and finance situation has not been resolved. We have been waiting five years. As I indicated, this is yet another of those great promises on which there has been a failure to deliver. It would be as well for the Minister to put her hands up and advise us that she will find some other way of putting beds into the system because if this is a fast-track approach, God help Ireland.

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