David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that good work and it is hugely important but the need for a dental school and hospital remains. If I heard the Minister correctly, I am alarmed that €15 million in funding will be made available to refurbish an old building. For the sake of further, relatively small, investment we could have a state-of-the-art dental school in the south, which is badly needed. I understand the Higher Education Authority also recommended that investment be made to boost places. As the Minister stated, we have a growing population, a huge need and fairly serious waiting lists. We need more people trained and we need modern facilities that are adequate. The current facility is not adequate and putting more money into it will be a waste of funding. I ask the Minister to use his good offices to intervene in this matter and to talk to the university and his colleagues. For a relatively small amount of money, we could do a proper job and get a proper dental school and hospital in the south of Ireland. Not just Cork and UCC, but all of the south of Ireland will benefit from this. In fact, the whole country would. I ask the Minister to treat this as a priority, and when he is in Cork to go out of his way, visit that facility and see what I am talking about.

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