Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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495. To ask the Minister for Health when a decision will be taken on Tallaght University Hospital's submission for a new 72-inpatient bed block. [56117/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health has yet to receive proposals in relation to the 72 bed accommodation block at Tallaght University Hospital. The Department understands that the HSE is currently compiling a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for this proposal to ensure full compliance with the Public Spending code (PSC). It is expected that is SAR will be submitted to the Department in early 2023.

The delivery of capital projects is a dynamic process and is subject to the successful completion of the various approval stages, in line with the new lifecycle approach of the updated Public Spending Code (PSC).

The PSC is designed to ensure that investment decisions are underpinned by a clear policy rationale, and that costs are well understood. In 2019, the PSC was updated and introduced a new project lifecycle, tightening the arrangements for project decision-making, and clarifying the roles of the parties involved including the responsibilities for Sponsoring Agencies and Approving Authorities.

These are defined processes in which all Departments and agencies are subject to and must follow to ensure that Government, as the approving authority for all major projects (i.e. those over costing over €100m) can be satisfied that the project is the best means to achieve a policy goal and that we achieve maximum value for money for the taxpayer.