Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. Two very important issues were raised, one of which is on the elective centre. It will be based in Cork, but remember, it is a regional hub. It will make a huge difference in terms of people being able to access care quickly, which ultimately is the mission in universal healthcare. That is what we are going to do. It will make a big difference.

The Deputies asked me very directly about the revised business case, which arrived back in my Department on Monday, and the need for it to be prioritised; yes, it will. The Department is prioritising it and I will be in discussions with the Minister, Deputy McGrath, who I know will look at and prioritise that as well.

We will get this through as quickly as it can happen and will then move on immediately to getting the planning process moving and the design done.

Regardless of that, there are not enough hospital beds, there is not enough acute capacity and there is not enough community capacity in Cork. We all know this and that it is not a small deficit but a very serious one. There are phenomenal clinical teams in community care, social care and hospital care in Cork. There are brilliant hospitals there. However, the health service in Cork is under enormous sustained pressure. The HSE recently intervened directly, as Deputies will be aware, and that had an impact, but it is not remotely enough. In parallel with our putting in place a regional elective centre based in Cork, we are also looking, as a matter of urgency, at how we can very quickly add more capacity there, including in diagnostics, beds, operating theatres, community-based care, home care options and so forth. The system is under unsustainable pressure and it needs serious investment. It is a very big priority for me to get moving on that and identify exactly what is needed. The funding is there and we will drive on.

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