Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1425. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made to date in relation to the site selection process for proposed elective hospitals in Galway, Cork and Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13417/23]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1469. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made to date with the site selection process for three elective hospitals, one each for Galway, Cork and Dublin which was advertised by the HSE in 2021 under the heading Elective Centre (EC) information and submission process May 2022; if no decision has been made the reason for the nearly two year delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13657/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1425 and 1469 together.

In December 2021, the Government approved the National Elective Ambulatory Strategy to implement a national strategy of elective ambulatory care and to progress capital investment proposals for the establishment and operation of dedicated Elective Hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin. These new facilities will provide significant additional capacity, enabling the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care. This will change the way in which day cases, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged across the country, ensuring greater capacity in the future and helping to address waiting times.

On 7 December 2022, the Government approved the next stage of the Enhanced Provision of Elective Care Programme and identified preferred sites in Cork and Galway, recommended to be brought forward into the planning phase. These are at St Stephen's Hospital, Sarsfield Court in Cork, and Merlin Park University Hospital in Galway. The locations chosen will enhance capacity and tackle waiting times on a national basis, enabling the Elective Hospitals to cover as wide an area and patient population as possible, extending beyond existing and future health areas.

The Preliminary Business Case for Dublin, including site selection, is currently being finalised. Following the required internal and external assurance processes it will be submitted for Government approval in due course.