Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I give the Deputy the assurance in regard to Portlaoise that nothing has been brought to me and there has been no conversation with me in the past two years about anything in Portlaoise hospital other than ongoing investment. I am fully committed to investing in the services for the people in the area, investing in staff and investing in infrastructure. As we said, more than €20 million in capital spend has gone in over the past two to three years. I acknowledge the Deputy’s advocacy. I have had many conversations with the Minister of State, Deputy Sean Fleming, in this regard. There has been an expansion of services, including, as the Deputy will welcome, the new ambulatory gynaecological “see and treat” centre opening this month in the hospital. The impact that will have locally in the coming months and years will be very substantial.

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