Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Health the location of the elective hospital in Cork; and when it will be fully operational. [52394/22]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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140. To ask the Minister for Health when a site will be identified for the building of a new elective hospital for Cork; the timeline for the design, applying for planning and building of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52293/22]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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143. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the status of the new elective hospital in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52089/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 140 and 143 together.

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 Cork is now complete and has been reviewed under the newly introduced External Assurance Process. Feedback from the review has been incorporated as required and the PBC 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, including a recommendation on a site option in Cork.

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 a 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.