Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy O'Sullivan might be able to ask by way of a parliamentary question. I have no knowledge of a conversation. I have not had a conversation.

I will make this point again. It is a straightforward point. Several members of the board have stepped down. This will allow for a regeneration of the board in line with the skill set that the Children's Health Act 2018 envisaged. We only passed the Act at the end of last year. The posts will be advertised through the Public Appointments Service.

I thanked the outgoing members of the board - there were six in total - for the work they did. They gave five or six years to a vast project and that is admirable. I have no doubt all these people, who have a variety of skill sets, did that for good reason. Deputy O'Sullivan was in government - I say this as a good thing - when many of these people were appointed to the board. They are good decent people who did a good job.

I am not aware of any planned design changes. I suppose it is important to add a caveat as I did in my last answer: there can always be minor alterations with a project of this scale. Anyway, there are no design intent changes. Indeed, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board went to An Bord Pleanála on 23 May 2019 in respect of some minor alterations. The board said on 6 August 2019 that the proposed alterations do not result in material alteration.

Deputy O'Sullivan asked about the timeline. It is still my understanding that the hospital will be finished in 2022 and open in 2023. I understand the Tallaght part will open next year in 2020. Obviously, the Connolly part opened in 2019.

I have some time left unless Deputy O'Sullivan has another question. She may wish to note that I am eager for the Limerick MRI project to happen. Deputy O'Sullivan has raised this with me on several occasions. I have met officials from the National Treatment Purchase Fund, the HSE and my Department to identify how best to do this. I have asked them all to report back to me quickly. I have also asked that they meet Oireachtas Members from the mid-west. I am guessing from Deputy O'Sullivan's question that this has not yet happened. It needs to happen. There is now significant funding, between the €26 million that the HSE has for the winter and the €100 million that the NTPF has now for 2020, to get on and provide a second MRI facility. The view of the hospital management is that this will make a significant difference.

The 96-bed ward block for Limerick is mentioned in our capital plan. I am not saying it will be completed during the duration of the capital plan - it will not. The sequencing is to go ahead with the 60-bed ward block, which we have delivered. I know Deputy O'Sullivan agitated for that. That is well under way and will open next year. The 96 beds are committed to and funded as part of our ten-year capital plan.

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