Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1851. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the new elective hospital for Cork; if his Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have now agreed on the project; if the hospital will have inpatient beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40719/22]
View answerIn 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.
As agreed by Government, the elective care scope of service will be developed in two phases. The first phase will commence with day cases, diagnostics, and outpatients. The provision of in-patient treatment will be considered in a subsequent phase. The need for this future in-patient care will be factored into the detailed planning and design phase of the elective facilities.
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 submitted for review under the newly introduced External Assurance Process. This review will be completed in the coming weeks after which the Business Case will be submitted for review by the Department of Public Expenditure’s Major Projects Advisory Group. Once these processes are concluded, a Memorandum will be brought to Government for its consideration/approval.
