Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and appreciate the update. As he will be aware, Glanmire is a fairly large community on the eastern side of Cork city, whose population, depending on how widely the area is measured, comprises 30,000-plus people, so it is critical we get that primary care centre delivered as soon as possible. The Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, and I visited the one in Ballincollig, on the western side of the city, last year, when the Tánaiste was cutting the ribbon on it. The services it provides for people there, such as eye care and outreach through Cork University Maternity Hospital, CUMH, are critical and have reduced the pressure on the nearby acute hospitals.

It is welcome we are still on track to be in a position to submit a planning application soon, and I urge the Minister to stay on top of it. The planning application was initially to be submitted in quarter 2, and while that has gone back to quarter 3, I would rather we got it right because, as we learned in the case of Blarney, not too far away, it is better to get it right than rush it. I urge the Minister to keep on top of it.

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