James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that. I am delighted there has been progress since we last spoke about this matter. I met the Minister in his office with departmental officials about this, and it is something we have been working on together. Youghal, as a town, has taken a hammering historically. There were 4,000 people directly employed in traditional industries there and Kodak flash cameras were made there. The town has really been a victim of time, poor government investment and a lack of strategic thinking, and its people feel abandoned. As their representative, I do not blame them for feeling that. This is why decisions like that just discussed in the Chamber matter. They matter to people in Youghal and certainly matter to me as their representative because they are about having government-led investment into the community. This goes beyond healthcare; this is about the State helping a disadvantaged community, a disadvantaged area. The proposed facility, above all else, would be greatly welcomed in east Cork and, indeed, on the other side of the River Blackwater in the area of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in County Waterford. It would be very beneficial to the region. Could the Minister give me an insight? Could he visit the location and see the facility at St. Raphael's for himself to try to drive this on as quickly as possible?

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