Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

They made a statement to the effect that investors in a hospital project met the Minister and that these investors would build it within five years. This was to be done and it was manna for the people of Meath. They are waiting for the hospital. Money was not a problem because, according to Deputy Damien English as recently as three weeks ago, it was arranged to be a public private partnership and the Government would have to pay only €40 million per annum to get it up and running. This was all arranged. The Minister has given replies to parliamentary questions from several Deputies on this issue to the effect that he knows nothing of these initiatives. Is it appropriate candidates should meet investors in respect of this matter which is a decision of the HSE and the Department of Health? Is the Minister involved in the negotiations? Are these negotiations real? Are they taking place or is it simply a bluff by the Deputies?

According to the replies, the Minister and the HSE appear to know nothing about it. What is the status of the hospital? My Government's position was clear enough. We were keen to build it but there was a lack of finance. If the Minister states that there is a lack of finance we will understand, save to say that the pressure is considerable. However, it appears there was no lack of finance on 9 February 2011 because the four candidates, now Deputies, stood up and suggested as much to everyone at the time in light of the IMF agreement, the publicly available tax receipts and the briefings given to Ministers about the state of the country's finances. They said the State did not have enough money but that they had met investors who would pay for it and that the State would only have to pay so much every year. I am unsure whether the Minister is aware of "The Simpsons" but it reminds me of the monorail project in "The Simpsons" where investors came in and built a massive project. That got the go-ahead and this did not so they are one step ahead of us. What exactly is its status? What is the status of the regional hospital for the north east in respect of which one year ago investors met the Minister's colleagues and they had all agreed that it would be built within five years? The Minister's name was attached to it. If that was simply a bluff, then it was a wrong bluff because we are dealing with people's lives and health. It is a bluff that continues because we met the Deputies only three or four weeks ago and they continued with this. They said their meetings continued with investors but at the same time the Minister and the HSE appear not to know the first thing about it. Let us have a clear and honest answer because the people of Meath seek clarity on it.