Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have the floor. The Deputy has made charges and I am now allowed to respond. He referred to having planning permission in 2008. I have no control over what happened in 2008 or the reason the building project did not progress. We can make a good guess as to why it did not happen. Obviously, it was for reasons of finance. We are where we are and we want to get the project back on track. I have given a commitment that I will do that for the local community. I have assured the Minister, Deputy Creed, that the project will be delivered and it will be delivered. However, as I said, significant change was made to the scope of the project which required that it be resubmitted for approval.

The Deputy is referring to a delay of two or three months, which is not earth shattering for a capital project of the size of the one we are delivering for the people in Macroom. We are under a commitment nationally to have this delivered by 2021. We have an agreement with HIQA to have community hospitals in place across the length and breadth of the country. They are in the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's constituency and my constituency. All Deputies have community hospitals in their constituencies on which they want to see progress but there are steps that we have to take. I cannot click a finger and make it happen. Projects must go through a planning process as well as design, project brief and financing stages. That is part and parcel of the process. I cannot give an absolute commitment to a deadline of one day, one week or one month because if the deadline were then to move, the Deputy would be the first to start jumping up and down. I do not control the planning process and must await its outcome. I have given the Deputy a commitment that the project will go to planning shortly. The planning process is independent but I assume it will be successful.

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