Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My question relates to page 3 of the programme for Government, which relates to reducing waiting lists in emergency departments to less than six hours. I wish to raise that in the context of Portlaoise hospital. A consultation process was announced for the hospital at the end of 2017. When we met the Minister for Health he said there would be a consultation process with local stakeholders, which he promised would be speedy but the process has not started yet. At the time I asked if it would be used to just to kick the can down the road and 16 months later that is exactly what has happened. I asked the Minister numerous times in this Chamber when the consultation process would start and I was told before Christmas that a facilitator would be appointed soon. Then, hey presto, I got an answer this morning from the Minister which said consideration is being given to appointing an independent external facilitator for the consultation process.

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