Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Twenty years ago we were negotiating the provision of a new national maternity hospital which has now been agreed and will go ahead with a state-of-the-art, world-class facility for expectant mothers and their babies for many years to come. There were discussions for many years on the national children's hospital and this will cater for the children of the island for the next 50 years.

That represents an investment in 25% of the population to have world-class standards for them. We have not built a new hospital since 1998. Additions are necessary and fine, but it is important to have governance to back up the clinical excellence about which Deputy Michael Harty spoke.

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