I propose to take Questions Nos. 328 to 330, inclusive, together.
Officials of my Department have received a preliminary briefing on discussions which are ongoing between representatives of the hospitals mentioned by the Deputy and the faculty of health sciences at Trinity College Dublin on future governance arrangements. As far as I am aware, this process is about developing the hospital services and the question of downgrading any facility does not arise.
The acute hospitals review group has been asked to prepare a national hospitals plan for the interim health services executive, taking account of the principles set out in the Hanly report. The Hanly proposals include the development of integrated hospital networks, within which the management of hospitals would be closely linked. Any proposals regarding the management of individual hospitals or groups of hospitals will be relevant to the work of the review group.