Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to raise this important matter once again. The reported serious threat to all or some of the proposed £70 million in EU funding for the Tallaght Hospital highlights the foolishness of the petulant outbursts by Government Ministers in their negotiations with Commission officials. We have had the imprudent denunciation last week of Director General, Mr. Landaburu, as a mere civil servant by the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Deputy Quinn. During the débâcle in respect of the £8 billion last year we had the criticism of Regional Affairs Commissioner, Bruce Millan, by very senior figures in Government.
It now appears that Mr. Millan is having his revenge and is determined to make the Government sweat for every element of the plan. It would also appear that Mr. Millan, if nothing else, is consistent. He said we would not get £8 billion and we did not. He sent his officials at an early stage to query elements of the Government's National Development Plan and the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Fitzgerald, told the House on 23 November last that there was "absolutely no basis for the reports in the Irish Independent”. It is clear now that those reports were well founded.
By far the most important project threatened is the Tallaght Hospital. There is no necessity to rehash the painful 14 year history of broken promises to the people of Tallaght, Clondalkin and surrounding areas. In the aftermath of today's reports we must ask the Minister if construction of the Tallaght Hospital will continue on the same scale, timetable and per contract. The plan approved by the Minister already scales down the hospital size to 467 beds. Nobody made an issue of that scaling down as it may make good sense. However, further scaling down, for example, reducing the 40 in-patient paediatric beds, would be unacceptable. Any delay in the construction period of 42 months and, more importantly, any tampering with the equipping and commissioning phase of six to nine months would also be unacceptable.
If the Minister is forced to find some, or all, of the £70 million promised from within his own budget, the problems could arise at commissioning stage. The last thing the people of Tallaght and Clondalkin need is a repeat of the Beaumont Hospital experience. It is difficult to believe that the question of whether Tallaght Hospital conformed to European funding parameters is only now being resolved by the Government. At this late stage it is almost unbelievable that there should be question marks over the future of the hospital as an eligible project. I presume that European funding parameters continue to rule out funding for a health care project. I understand the argument for that hospital was made on the basis of local development requirements. Anyone familiar with the history, infrastructure and actuality of Tallaght will acknowledge the eligibility of the hospital in that context. Surely all that should have been clarified months ago.
On behalf of the local residents of the area I ask the Minister to give unequivocal responses to a number of questions. Will Tallaght hospital proceed as per contract, irrespective of how the EU funds row is resolved? Is there now clarity about the eligibility of this project for European Union funding? Can the Minister assure the House that a completed Tallaght hospital will not be left lying idle at the end of the construction period? Has the Minister examined the implications for the wider health services if he is obliged to raid his budget to complete the commission of the hospital?
I accept those questions are directed to the Minister for Health who I understand is in the Seanad. I avail of the opportunity to congratulate him on the decisive manner in which he grabbed this project by the scruff of the neck. He signed the contract and work has commenced. However, these are most serious questions that give rise to the same old concern and distress among residents of the area. I hope the Minister can finally answer those questions tonight.
