Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
1805. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 9 November 2023, if the SAR/PBC for the new emergency department, women and children’s block at University Hospital Galway has been approved by the HSE to-date; the expected timeline for it to proceed to pre-tender stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1960/24]
View answerThe Emergency Department (ED), Women & Children’s Block at University Hospital Galway is one of several significant capital investment proposals for the University Hospital Galway (UHG) campus.
Given the scale and ambition of these projects, a Capital Programme Oversight Board has been established by Saolta to support the phased delivery of capital investment at UHG, as part of an integrated masterplan.
The Department of Health carried out a review of the Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for the New Emergency Department, Women and Children’s Block at University Hospital Galway only, and returned it with feedback to the HSE in June 2023.
The findings of this review were incorporated into a SAR/Preliminary Business Case (PBC) which was approved and then submitted to the Department of Health by the HSE for review in November 2023.
In line with the requirements of the new Infrastructure Guidelines which have replaced the Public Spending Code, this SAR/PBC must be subject to a Departmental review (which is currently ongoing), an external assurance process, and presentation to D/PENDPDR’s Major Project Advisory Group. The timeframe for this process is dictated by outcome of the findings from each review, alongside consideration of the project within the integrated masterplan under development.
