Results 5,201-5,220 of 26,351 for speaker:David Cullinane
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: It is, but the clock is ticking.
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Is the Minister seriously telling me there is the potential for talks between him and the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group between now and next Tuesday?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Obviously, people will make up their own mind as to what to take from the Minister's response. To go back to what we talked about over the last few minutes, the Minister had exactly the same position that I had from the get-go on this. We have a very complicated healthcare system in this State, which we agree on, I imagine. It is a two-tier system with a mix of public and private, which...
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: It is a private company that is being established. The National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park DAC is a company.
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: It is still a company.
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: I will phrase it differently. It is not a HSE hospital.
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Exactly. Rather than what we all should have in place, which is a public hospital.
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: That is my point. It is all very complicated. We are writing a cheque, or the HSE will write the cheque on our behalf, as taxpayers, for up to €1 billion. This is why I am concerned. It is the reason we are in the position we are in. The Minister himself used the words “complex” and “complexities”. We are establishing this company, which is a charity,...
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: I thank the Minister for agreeing to take statements. To clarify, this is a session of questions and answers. I believe that is what was agreed so we can go over and back with the Minister. Is that correct?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: I will go over and back with the Minister. I thank the Minister for agreeing to this format today. For how long has the State been involved in negotiations with the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: It was 2013. How many Ministers have been involved in talks? It will have been James Reilly, the Minister, Deputy Harris, and Deputy Donnelly himself. Was it three Ministers?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: We should not forget Deputy Varadkar. There have been four Ministers for Health involved in the negotiations at various times. Last year, some controversy again arose in respect of this issue. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste responded to concerns from Members of the Oireachtas. At that time, the Tánaiste put on the record his concerns regarding governance, ownership and so on. I...
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Over what time period were the negotiations conducted?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Was it a year?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: There were very intense negotiations at the very highest level involving a lot of time and effort from the Minister. Why all of these negotiations?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Why is there a need for a constitution, a new company and all of these protracted negotiations involving four Ministers over nine years or longer? Why has all of that been necessary?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: What is behind the complexity? That is what I am trying to get at. We know it was complex. That is one of the arguments we are making. All of this is very complex. I imagine co-location is part of the reason for that complexity. The lease arrangement is also a complex aspect. Why is the lease arrangement complicated?
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Let me make it easier for the Minister.
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: Let me make it easier. If we were building the hospital on public land, there would not be that complexity. There would be no lease so there would not have been those complex issues to deal with.
- National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)
David Cullinane: I just wanted to clarify that. When the Minister became involved in the talks having come into office, did he state it was his preference for the land to be brought into full public ownership or make a formal request that be done? Is that something he asked for?