Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his remarks. I also thank him for the seat on the bus for any constituent of mine. My emphasis, however, is to avoid people having to go on long journeys to get cataract operations. We should be increasing capacity locally. That is what I modestly announced last week. There was no fanfare. I simply said there would be a significant investment going into the South Infirmary-Victoria hospital, the largest centre in Munster for dealing with eye, ear and throat issues. In particular, it will develop capacity locally with a dedicated cataract surgery theatre in the South Infirmary-Victoria hospital. It will have a refitted designed area with two side-by-side ophthalmology operating theatres which will go to tender shortly and which will have a capacity of 2,000 cataract surgeries annually. One theatre will deal with the most complex ophthalmic cases while the second will serve as a dedicated cataract theatre.

The cost of all of what the Deputy has been at - I have no difficulty with it. It has been a gamechanger too for the Deputy electorally in terms of number of people on buses-----

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