Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There was some €16 million for St. Patrick’s Community Hospital in Carrick-on-Shannon. I have raised this issue twice during Commencement matters. Based on my dealings with Roscommon hospital, I know how much of an inconvenience it is for the management to carry out this development. However, it has to be done. The Government cannot just grant funding and demand that the hospital be built. There has to be consultation with management and staff. In nursing homes in Boyle, Castlerea and many other locations, where the bell was ringing over the past ten years, management and staff sought and acquired funding. Funding, therefore, can be provided but these facilities will not be built unless the management in those nursing homes decides to get a team together, get an appraisal and source a design feasibility study as well as cost estimates.

It behoves all the stakeholders to work together. All the Government can do is to provide the funding. The funding for this project has been ring-fenced in the national development plan, NDP, which runs from 2017 to 2021. It is projected to be complete by 2022. I reiterate to Senator Leyden that I know from Roscommon hospital how much of an inconvenience it is to work with all stakeholders to build such facilities. It has, however, to be done. It is not possible to build something without cracking a few eggs. I ask all of the stakeholders to come together to deliver this project. The Government, however, can only do so much. We can provide the funding. That is unlike 2012 and 2013 when there was none. We can, however, only do so much. The management teams have to-----