Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator and will convey his concerns to the Minister, the Department and the HSE. The proposed new emergency department and the women and children's project is a large and complex project and is in the early stages of design progression. The original proposal was for a new multistorey emergency department block. However, as a result of service-led demands, there has been a significant increase in scale and ambition for the constricted Galway site and the proposal is now for much more than an emergency department.

The strategic assessment report is being drafted by the HSE to ensure full compliance with the public spending code. I hope we will get project board approval and submission as quickly as possible. If granted approval in principle, the preliminary business case, which is at an advanced stage of development, can be updated by the HSE and brought forward for review to progress proposals.This project is part of a larger development that incorporates maternity and paediatric services. It is a complex project that is in the early stages of design progression. In advance of the more permanent arrangements, the interim extension to the emergency department is expected to be completed by the end of June. While there is no date yet for the planning application for the main building, and I know this is the core of what the Senator is saying, the HSE is actively engaging with the local authority as the project proceeds through the initial stages of the public spending code. The Senator has spoken here many times to push this project. I hope progress can be made as quickly as possible if the strategic assessment report stacks up and I have no doubt it will.