Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 April 2023
360. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify as to the new procedures that have been put in place to expedite the process for the development and the building for the new elective hospital for Cork; if he can provide a timeframe as to when his Department will allow the project to proceed to planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10401/23]
View answerThe Programme to develop new Elective Hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin is progressing in line with the Public Spending Code (PSC), which is designed to ensure that capital 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 life cycle, tightening the arrangements for project decision-making, and clarifying the roles of the parties involved including the responsibilities for Sponsoring Agencies and Approving Authorities. On 29 March 2023, further changes were made to the Public Spending Code by means of Circular 06/2023 from D/PENDPDR. The purpose of the PSC review was to clarify the roles and responsibilities of key actors within the Public Spending Code and to streamline the process to best match the realities of project development. The Department and the HSE are reflecting on how best to align major capital proposals with the new PSC life cycle and further ‘Infrastructure Guidelines’ will be issued by DPENDPDR in the near future.
I have asked the HSE, as Sponsoring Agency with day-to-day responsibility for the delivery of the new Elective Hospital in Cork, to respond to you directly in relation to the matters raised.
