Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to bring to the attention of the Minister of State the fact that approximately 1,000 people came out on 23 March, a cold spring day, to express their concerns, culminating with the meeting in the hotel. The issue is becoming muddier and muddier. I refer the Minister of State to his script, which is from the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly. It states the HSE is still working on the plan for 2019 and also refers to expenditure on contractual commitments. There is nothing clear in it to state funding will be provided for any of the units in Donegal. I hope the Minister of State will bring it to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, that while he tried to impress on us that it was totally clear it would be moving in 2019, he also stated there were contractual commitments and annual requirements on meeting risks with associated clinical equipment. This is not clear. We are looking for a very clear and unambiguous statement that money will be provided for a design team to be appointed as quickly as possible. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, has made it very clear, and I admire his honesty, that the decision was reversed. We know the initial decision was to close these hospitals at the expense of another. Where will the patients go if they must be discommoded while works are being carried out in these hospitals?

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