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

I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the paediatric development at Cork University Hospital. A national model of care for paediatric healthcare services in Ireland has been developed by the HSE and sets out the vision for high-quality, integrated, accessible healthcare services for children from birth to adulthood with an emphasis on early detection and prompt treatment. The model aims to ensure that all children should be able to access high-quality services in an appropriate location, within an appropriate timeframe, irrespective of their geographical location or social background. The model of care explicitly supports the development of the new children’s hospital and an integrated national network for paediatrics, with strengthened and interconnected roles for local and regional paediatric units, including the regional unit in Cork University Hospital.

There are a number of distinct phases within the proposed paediatric development at Cork University Hospital. The HSE is responsible for the delivery of healthcare services, including infrastructure projects, and has advised that the phase 2 development, which includes 74 inpatient beds, is currently at the design stage and is funded up to the detailed design and planning stage in 2019. I understand that a capital submission for phase 3 of the development is currently being prepared in order to enable the "shelled" construction of this project during the construction of phase 2. The submission will have to be considered by the HSE's capital steering committee before it can be approved.

I am happy to confirm that the paediatric development at Cork University Hospital has been included in the Project Ireland 2040 policy initiative announced last year. This provides €10.9 billion for health capital developments across the country, including both national programmes and individual projects, across acute, primary and social care. The delivery of these projects and programmes, including developments in Cork, will result in healthcare facilities that allow for implementation of new models of care and for delivery of services in high quality modern facilities.

My Department and the HSE are currently engaged in a process to finalise the HSE capital plan for 2019. In developing its capital plan for 2019 and future years, the HSE must consider a range of issues including the expenditure that is contractually committed, the HSE's annual requirement with regard to meeting risks associated with clinical equipment, ambulances and healthcare infrastructure. The HSE capital plan will propose the projects that can progress in 2019 and beyond, having regard to the available capital funding, the number of large national capital projects currently under way, the cashflow requirements of each project and the relevant priority. Projects which are currently in construction and which are contractually committed will not be affected. Once the HSE has finalised its capital plan for 2019, it will then be submitted to the Minister for consideration.

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