Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There have been some important changes. I brought this matter to the Ministers, Deputies McGrath and Donohoe, some time ago in regard to major capital projects in healthcare. There have been some important changes and I will mention two in particular. First, the major capital ceiling was increased by €100 million to €200 million and, second, the four-stage process was reduced to two stages and is now moving quicker. I do not disagree with the Deputy's comments, not so much in terms of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform but in terms of the process itself, which is a painstaking one. Nonetheless, none of us should underestimate the impact these surgical hubs will have. We have seen a massive reduction in long waiters in Tallaght. The hub in Mount Carmel will serve St. James's Hospital and St. Vincent's Hospital. We are going to have one in Swords that will serve the major hospitals on the north side of the city-----

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