Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)

The first thing I want to say in reply to the Minister of State is that €31 million is the cost that I have been given for the new 50-bed unit that is being developed there. In response to a previous parliamentary question, the Minister said that "scale and scope of phasing of these works is currently being reviewed with service colleagues, and once completed, the specific scope for Phase 2", which is the next wing of the 50, "will be determined." That is a change of from the original plan of three phases. I am trying to be practical about this. I know money cannot be pulled out of the sky but we have 25 beds there out of the existing 50. The first thing is to keep them there. The second thing is to move onto phase 2 for the second 50 beds because we need them. There is a growing elderly population. I do not need to tell the Minister of State that the demand is there for it. A lot of families are coming to me about it.

I was not aware that you could come in on the back of a written question at oral question time.

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