Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is exactly the same reply as the one I have been getting for the past few years. It is not setting anything new out for me. Cuan Mhuire needs 60% of its funding to come from the HSE. It is a simple matter of the HSE committing that funding so that the facility can open on 1 January 2019. If we accept this answer, we will not get anywhere for at least three to four months. In the meantime, we will not get a commitment from Cork City Council because it does not understand the internal issues between Cuan Mhuire and the HSE. This facility has been fully furnished and ready to open for eight years. It is a turnkey facility that has been idle for eight years. In fact, it has been idle for 11 years but it was fully equipped eight years ago with up-to-date facilities including fire alarms.

The answer from the Department today does not give me anything concrete. I cannot go back to Cuan Mhuire or to Cork City Council with this reply. I cannot tell them that this is going to progress because this answer does not tell me that. Surely the HSE is able to give us a "Yes" or "No" answer at this stage. It has been given its budget for 2019, amounting to €17 billion. I am talking here about 60% funding for a facility that costs €300,000 per annum. We want the HSE to commit to providing 60% of the funding. As I understand it, the issue is that the HSE wants Teach Mhuire to be used as a step-up facility whereas Cuan Mhuire wants it to be used as a step-down facility. I am not sure what the difference is but for God's sake, can we not get on with this? The sum in question is 60% of €300,000. That is what we are looking for and we should have a commitment in writing before 1 January 2019.