Outlines for new elective hospitals for Cork, Galway and Dublin due by year-end

Health minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed that an outline for the new elective hospitals will be in place by the end of the year. File Picture.

A scoping exercise to develop three new hospitals in Cork, Galway, and Dublin will be completed by the end of the year, health minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed today.

At his first appearance before the Oireachtas health committee, Mr Donnelly told members that a “spatial brief” and costings document was being developed under the guidance of Professor Frank Keane, chairman of the Elective Hospitals Oversight Group, which was set up last year and is carrying out a catchment area analysis for the new facilities.