Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In answer to the Deputy's first question, each of those projects is a separate project in terms of the €100 million versus €200 million. It will not come as a surprise to any of us that several of those projects will cost well in excess of the €200 million but, critically, even where they will, and where the public spending code to date has five separate approval stages and I have had to bring memorandum after memorandum to Government, for example, on the elective hospitals, much to the frustration of everyone in government, it has been agreed with the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Michael McGrath, that the five stages is brought down to three. That will help with all of those projects.

When it comes to the smaller projects, be that an ambulance base or a primary care centre, or, indeed, another project we did not mention to go into Galway, which is another bed block the hospital needs as well, that might well fall under the €200 million. That might well be the kind of one I am looking to bring in if I can get agreement on the 1,500 rapid-build beds.

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