Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State and thank my colleague, Senator Wilson, for sharing his time on this issue. I greatly appreciate it and it is consistent with his approach to public life, in that he puts the interests of the community ahead of narrow partisan considerations. I reiterate my full commitment to and belief in the maintenance and development of services at Cavan General Hospital and at Monaghan hospital. In that context, I condemn outright the content of yesterday's leaked HSE document that heralded a reduction of services in both. The regional hospital should be built at the most satisfactory of the remaining locations under consideration. I understand the Cavan town proposal and a number of others are no longer on the list. Of the remaining sites, Virginia is by far the most satisfactory for the following reasons. First, it is best placed geographically. Second it is located on the N3, as well as the on new M3 motorway. Third, it is sufficiently far from Dublin to reduce gridlock. Fourth, a fully-serviced site in public ownership is available. I urge the HSE to bear in mind these crucial considerations when making the decision.