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For Oral Answer on : 26/05/2022
Question Number(s): 100 Question Reference(s): 26634/22
Department: Health
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
* To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 78 and 156 of 15 February 2022, if his Department has completed the internal review process of the project preliminary business case for an elective hospital for Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– David Stanton T.D.
For ORAL answer on Thursday, 26 May, 2022.
REPLY
I propose to take PQ’s 16 , 25 , 100 and 262 together.
In 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 Business Case has been reviewed by my Department. It has been shared with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A project-level Business Case for Cork is almost complete. This is expected to be submitted through the required Public Spending Code’s External Assurance Process in the coming weeks.
