Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Further to an earlier question, it has come to my attention that the HSE has lodged a commencement order with Dublin City Council in respect of the proposed new national maternity hospital. Such an order would be made after contracts are signed and when work is about to begin. In this case, the HSE is saying work will begin this coming Friday, 14 December. Surely this cannot be the case in light of what the Taoiseach said earlier - and in view of what he has been saying to me in recent weeks - regarding the need to ensure that all of those important outstanding issues are resolved. I refer to the issues of ownership of the new hospital, ownership of the site and the governance and ethos of the hospital. It seems the Government is not anywhere close to being in a position to sign a contract for work to begin. Will the Taoiseach clarify the position regarding the contract? Can he provide an assurance today he will arrange for that commencement order to be withdrawn immediately so that all of those outstanding issues might be resolved?

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