Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to be here today. I very much appreciate it. My Commencement matter relates to the proposal in the national development plan, Project Ireland 2040, for a new hospital in Cork. The priority is not long fingering it and leaving it as just a proposal. I want action to be taken. The population of Cork has increased from 410,000 to 542,000 in the past 30 years. It will continue to grow under Project Ireland 2040. Cork city and county will be the fastest growing area of the country. Therefore, there is a need for improved medical facilities and one of those facilities is a new hospital. The first job is identifying a suitable site and then starting and proceeding through the planning process. The first priority is identifying a site. What action has the Department and the HSE taken with regard to progressing that matter?