David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

374. To ask the Minister for Health in tabular form, the capital funding allocated to each level 3 and level 4 hospital from 2016 to date, broken down by year, by hospital, and by hospital group; if he will itemise each capital allocation provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30390/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

375. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the changes that have been introduced to speed up delivery of capital projects in healthcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30391/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This Government is committed to transforming how we deliver healthcare in Ireland. The aim is to deliver universal healthcare, so that everyone has access to affordable, high-quality, sustainable care when they need it.

To date the approach to the delivery of capital projects has simply been far too slow. I have stated that the current process has too many stages and projects have been too susceptible to veto or delays.

As Minister for Health, one of my priorities has been improving the delivery of health capital projects. To that end, I have had considerable engagement with government colleagues; with my Department; the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; and the HSE to explore all available opportunities to improve the pace of capital projects delivery.

I am delighted to confirm that significant progress has been made.

In March of this year, changes to the Public Spending Code aimed at enhancing NDP delivery were introduced that seek to streamline the appraisal and approval of projects. These include:

• increasing major project thresholds from €100 million to €200 million;
• reducing PSC approval stages from 5 to 3;
• removing Government as the approving authority for major projects and the requirement for a technical review of projects by DPER.

I am working with my Department and the HSE to ensure that policies and procedures to plan and deliver capital projects are enhanced and updated. This includes:

• Development of a Strategic Health Investment Framework in my Department, due for publication in coming weeks
• Implementation of HSE’s Capital & Estates Strategy; and
• Update of the HSE Capital Projects Manual

I continue to work with my officials and key stakeholders including the HSE to explore all available opportunities to improve the pace of capital health projects delivery.