Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that the waiting times for therapies are very long and far too long in many parts of the country. Although I may be incorrect, I think that CHO 7 was part of a pilot where we are going to move therapists into schools, which we think might be a more effective way of providing these services than through the HSE. I will seek an update on that and come back to Deputy Crowe about it.

In response to Deputy Cullinane, the Government and people of Ireland recognise and appreciate the phenomenal work that the Religious Sisters of Charity have done over the years in providing healthcare and education when the State did not. Bad things happened too and they were absolutely wrong, but we should not lose sight of the good things that happened. They are proposing to gift the land to a charity, not to the State or the people. We would much prefer that it be gifted to the State, to the people, in that way. We would even be willing to purchase it because that would be a better option too. However, it is complicated. It is on the site of another hospital which is a voluntary hospital and not a State-owned hospital. We need to work it out. Let me say very clearly that it is the absolute view of the Government that it has to be 100% clear, and legally clear, that all procedures lawful in the State should be performed in that hospital. We also need to get the governance and ownership right.

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