Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Deputy Leader. I have raised on many occasions the status of the emergency department in University Hospital Galway, UHG. I welcome that there has been progress, albeit slow progress, of late. The strategic assessment report has been sanctioned by the Department of Health after a long time. Planning permission for the demolition of the old emergency department has been granted. The new temporary emergency department has been in place since last summer and is working well. There is more space. The old emergency department was used to provide ten additional beds last winter, which was of great assistance with the pressures that arose during that period. There is now some concern as to whether those beds will be available for the coming winter. Funding is in place. It is imperative that these additional beds are retained on campus in UHG. Saolta and the management of the hospital need to find space to ensure those additional beds are maintained.

As I said, I welcome the progress but the steps are too slow and too long. The public spending code process, although necessary, is very protracted. I know the Minister and the Department are looking at shortening the phases and steps that are necessary. That would be welcome as it would reduce the number of times that major projects have to go to Cabinet. As I understand it, the threshold at which projects need to go through the more rigorous evaluation has been raised from €100 million to €200 million. It is important that we debate with the Minister of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the issue of our capital plan as it relates to health, which I am talking about on this occasion, but also other areas and that we discuss his future plans to shorten the timeline for the delivery of projects within the capital plan. His new job title includes delivery of the national development plan. This is very important. We have seen construction inflation and everything that goes with it but the timelines that are manageable within the Department need to be looked at. There is a two-stage process. There is what can be sanctioned within the various Departments and then the rigours of the planning process. We need to tighten up the time it takes to deliver major capital infrastructure while continuing to focus on value for money and watching overspends. There are many projects around the country. We need to progress and fast-track many of them.

As I have said, the overall project for University Hospital Galway will include the new emergency department as well as maternity and paediatric facilities. We need to deliver that. We need to get the planning process started. You cannot get planning permission unless you apply for it. This has been the crux of the issue with regard to the public spending code all along.