Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the decision. The Cork site is the right one. The fact that it is over 100 acres means that even if it is started with a small step, there can be expansion in the next ten, 15 or 20 years. I therefore very much welcome the decision by the Minister and the Cabinet. However, the issues are how long it will take to get a design done, then go through the planning process and then go out for tender to get the builders in. It is important we try to speed this process up. It should be remembered that the population of the Cork area has gone up by 170,000 in the past 25 years. That is a huge increase without any increase in real terms in hospital facilities. That is the reason this issue needs to be prioritised and delivered at a very fast pace in order to cater for the demands on services in the area.

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