Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the important issue of the development programme for Naas General Hospital in County Kildare and the urgent need to approve the remaining stages of same. The hospital is located in the greater Dublin area, GDA, on the edge of our capital city and meets an enormous level of demand for high quality services but pressure is growing for more services to be provided at the hospital. The need for a new endoscopy unit has been well publicised and it is time to move ahead with that development. A great deal of work can be done now before tendering begins so that the process is not delayed any further.

The quality of life for both staff and patients is a function of the services available throughout the hospital and the standard of the accommodation. In terms of the proposals to which I and Deputy Heydon refer, it is time to push ahead. The necessary measures must be put in place to ensure that the hospital recognises where it is going in good time. If approval is given soon it will be to the benefit of the hospital and the quality of services provided therein.

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