David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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19. To ask the Minister for Health the proposed date for the start of construction on the new community hospital in Midleton, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26633/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to thank Deputy Stanton for raising this question and to acknowledge the importance of Community Nursing Units (CNUs) throughout the country.

In 2016, a Capital Programme for Older Persons Residential Centres was developed to replace, upgrade and refurbish care facilities. This was in response to the introduction of HIQA’s National Residential Care Standards for Older People.

This programme includes 90 different projects at various stages. 33 projects are complete as at the end of 2021. A further 11 are expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

7 CNUs are included in a single bundle to be developed by Public Private Partnership (PPP). Midleton Community Nursing Unit is included in this bundle.

The PPP procurement process is in progress. It is anticipated that the construction of the new CNU in Midleton will commence by Quarter 4, 2022 and will be completed in 2024. Upon completion the project will provide 50 replacement beds.

The delivery of capital projects is a dynamic process, subject to the successful completion of the various approval stages, in line with the Public Spending Code, which can impact on the timeline for delivery.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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22. To ask the Minister for Health the progress to date in advancing a building project at a hospital (details supplied); when it will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26864/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE has advised that a proposal for a project to develop additional capacity at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh is currently being considered.

This proposal involves the provision of an additional 10 bed High Dependency Unit, 76 bed ward, 3 theatres & radiology refurbishments, allowing Cappagh to further increase its surgical throughput.

The proposal has been included in the HSE National Capital Programme and an initial allocation has been granted in 2022 for the completion of a Strategic Assessment Report. The final decision to proceed with this project will be made in line with the Public Spending Code.

Earlier this year, I asked the HSE, Children’s Heath Ireland (CHI), as well as senior orthopaedic clinicians from CHI at Temple Street, CHI at Crumlin and Cappagh to develop a dedicated plan to reduce the number of children waiting for spinal orthopaedic procedures, specifically scoliosis and spina bifida, by year end. More specifically, €3.4 million has been committed to support CHI paediatric orthopaedic activity at Cappagh to undertake non-complex surgery for paediatric patients aged 2 years and over. This builds on €1.65 allocation to Cappagh under the Access to Care Programme.