Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the response from the Department of Health. He is right that there are a lot of acronyms in his response but there are not any timelines - any dates for delivery, for when planning permission might be lodged, for when the design might be complete or for when the oversight board might report. There is not any date for meaningful progress that could help constituents in the medium term, because there is no short term here. As I said on numerous occasions, when the former Minister, Deputy Harris, was in Galway in September 2018 he was told by Saolta that the planning permission for a new ED would lodged before Christmas. That was 2018 and here we are in spring 2024. The project specification has changed somewhat but we are still waiting.

Yes, we have the temporary ED and we have planning permission to demolish the old ED. That is slight progress but we still do not have a firm date for when a planning application for emergency, paediatrics and maternity will be provided or indeed for the new laboratories and cancer care centre. There is a lot of work needed in Galway and all we have is talk and plans. We need delivery.