Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are 150 acres at Merlin Park University Hospital. A site has been identified for a new hospital within that. I welcome the fact that we are progressing with the development of an elective hospital. On 24 November I was told that the Saolta University Healthcare Group has made a capital submission to the national capital and property steering committee. Today, we have learned that it is not with the steering committee, and that it is with the HSE for an internal view. I appreciate that the Minister has a difficult job. Like other Deputies, I have taken the trouble to put questions to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. We have not even got to gate zero in the process. One question is undermining the other question. It is extremely difficult for the Minister to be on top of the stages of the process from gate 1 to gate 5 or 6, or whatever it is. We are not making progress. If we were, we would not have received a letter from the consultants appealing to all Deputies to act on a cross-party basis to do something about this issue. I have many other questions, but I will keep within the time limit.

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