Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That just confirms exactly what we have been told by the HSE, that the commitment given by the Minister of State has been ignored. I ask him about this on behalf of the committee members who made the long journey to meet them in his ministerial office. He told them face to face that there would be a detailed design in 2019, planning in early 2020 and a phased transition based on the movement of patients as works progressed. Now, as just confirmed in the Minister of State's response, this is not happening. A sum of €2.75 million was the allocation for St. Joseph's, and there was €1.5 million for Ramelton. The HSE and Government have refused to give the go-ahead. Instead, as the Minister of State said, minor capital works are to take place in 2019 and 2020.

Can the Minister of State acknowledge - I will be careful with my language here - that, at the least, he misled the community activists and has broken his promise to them and the members of the community who turned out both on the streets and at public meetings? We have addressed and been with hundreds of people who are angry at the fact that the Government is drip-feeding them misinformation. Does the Minister of State accept that he told them what I said? The reality is that the people in Donegal will say the Minister of State told them bare-faced lies. That is what they will say because the Minister of State told them the works would be in the capital plan and proceed to detailed design this year to allow for planning next year. Now that decision has been reversed and all the fear in the community still exists. What changed since 7 November last year, when we all sat around the table and believed there was a genuine plan, light at the end of the tunnel and a timeframe in which to do all the work?

As the HSE has told us, unless the works are part of the capital plan they cannot proceed. There is an aspiration but unless money is allocated for the projects, involving detailed design as the first step, they cannot proceed. That is why plan B is being considered. It is to ensure HIQA does not close down the facilities in 2021. It is a waste of money. Why would the HSE be spending over €0.5 million on this type of work when most of it will be obsolete and it will have to do it all over again in a couple of years? It is a clear example of waste. Worse, it is a clear example of the Government demonstrating bad faith to the community that values these projects and hospitals so much.

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