Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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98. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the plans for a new elective hospital in Merlin Park, Galway; the timeline for the completion of the project; if this is phase one of the new elective and acute hospital proposed for the MPUH site, as set out as the preferred option in the Saolta University Health Care Group’s “Options Appraisal for Saolta Model 4 Hospital Services in Galway” 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52192/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2021, the Government agreed a new National Elective Ambulatory Care Strategy. This aims to change the way in which day case, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged and ensure greater capacity in the future. It will also help to address waiting lists on a national level through the provision of dedicated, standalone facilities in Cork, Galway and Dublin.

The development of the elective hospital proposals is following the process outlined in the updated Public Spending Code. This sets out the value for money requirements for the evaluation, planning, and management of large public investment projects. A Programme Preliminary Business Case has been reviewed by my Department and shared with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A project-level Preliminary Business Case for Galway is now complete and has been reviewed under the newly introduced External Assurance Process. Feedback from the review has been incorporated as required. It has been submitted for review by the Department of Public Expenditure’s Major Projects Advisory Group. Once this process has concluded, a Memorandum will be brought to Government for its consideration/approval. No decision on a site has been made, but the Memorandum will include a recommendation on a site option in Galway.

In parallel, work has also commenced to ensure a smooth transition to the next phase of Public Spending Code Gate 2 - Detailed Project Design, Planning and Procurement - and to ensure the necessary structures and workstreams can be progressed at pace, including articulating the clinical service and operating model including separation of scheduled and unscheduled care pathways, procurement strategy, design for planning approvals and stakeholder engagement arrangements.

It is not possible to estimate timeline for the design, applying for planning and building of the new facilities; however, based on current plans it is intended that they would open in 2027 and be fully operational from 2028.