Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of her plans to free up 1,000 public beds through the co-location plan, building work has begun at any of the eight co-location sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25800/10]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason she is going ahead with the building of co-located private hospitals in view of the closure of so many public hospital beds because of cutbacks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25920/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 100 together.

The Renewed Programme for Government re-affirms the Government's commitment to the current co-location programme, the purpose of which is to make available, in future years, in the most cost effective way, public acute hospital beds for public patients by transferring private activity, with some limited exceptions, from public acute hospitals to co-located private hospitals. Preferred bidders have been selected for six co-located projects at Beaumont, Cork University, Limerick Regional, St James's, Sligo and Waterford Regional Hospitals. Project agreements have been signed for the Beaumont, Cork, Limerick and St James's projects. Planning permission has been granted for the first three of these projects. Planning permission has been granted by the local authority for the St James's project but has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála. Two other projects are at earlier stages of the procurement process.

The co-location programme is a complex public procurement process. It is a matter for each successful bidder to arrange its finance under the terms of the relevant Project Agreement. The co-location initiative, like other major projects, has to deal with the changed funding environment. The HSE is continuing to work with the successful bidders to provide whatever assistance it can to help them advance the projects. The HSE has estimated that, from the start of building, the overall construction and commissioning period for the projects will range from about 28 to 36 months depending on the scale of the project.