I welcome the acceptance by the Government of the Minister for Health's proposals relating to hospital facilities in the mid-west. These proposals were based on the HIQA report, which stressed patient safety. It said patient safety was central to its proposals, which means time is of the essence in implementing these proposals. We are all concerned about patients. I pay tribute to the staff, who have worked with great dedication and courtesy in UHL in what continue to be very difficult and sometimes intolerable conditions. It is now proposed that a new building be erected in the vicinity of the Dooradoyle site. Has a site been identified and acquired for that building? When the Minister was asked about this yesterday, she said she could not talk about it due to commercial considerations. Surely there are no commercial considerations in asking whether the site has been acquired, when it will be acquired and whether we will be told when it has been acquired. It is also proposed that a project management board be established to drive this project forward, which is essential. It has been some time since the HIQA report was issued. Has that management structure been put in place and if not, when will it be put in place? In view of the urgency of the situation and the fact the safety of patients is central to these recommendations, will the Taoiseach give the House an assurance that sufficient capital will be provided to enable this project to go ahead within the required timescale in view of the fact that the ESRI has projected that over the next 15 years, a further 600 model 4 hospital-type beds will needed in this region? This is almost double the current capacity of University Hospital Limerick. As the services are centrally located in Limerick, there is a huge problem with the ambulance service because a very far-outlying area surrounds Limerick, from the west end of Clare up to the very top of Tipperary, etc. As a result of that, we are exposed every day to lurid tales of people waiting five or six hours, or longer, for ambulances. These are people who urgently need to get to hospital. Is it proposed to revamp the ambulance service in conjunction with these new recommendations so that people will not be waiting in those circumstances for any longer?

Sentiment score: 0.15

Will the Taoiseach comment on the ambulance service in the area? Two private hospitals were built in Limerick after the last 96-bed block was commissioned. They were built in two or two and a half years. It took six years, from start to finish, to build the 96-bed unit. It is projected it will take another six years to build the next one. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, has proposals to move on and expedite these large infrastructural projects. Does the Taoiseach envisage those will have an impact, such that that job will be done much more quickly and efficiently than has happened in the past? We wanted to know why two 96-bed units were not built together. We were told that would bring the budget to over €200 million, which would require going over a lot of other barriers and would delay the project. We are worried about that also and about how long this is all going to take.

Sentiment score: -0.06