Cork elective hospital could be open by 2027
The new hospital will be located at St Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire. Picture: Dan Linehan
The new elective hospital to be based in Glanmire in Cork city could be open by 2027, the Dáil has heard.
During topical issues in the Dáil after the revelation that the decision to approve the hospital will go to Cabinet on Tuesday, there was criticism that the decision was delayed by eight months in the Department of Health.
Cork North Central Fianna Fáil TD, Padraig O’Sullivan, welcomed news that the hospital will be located at St Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire, but hit out at the length of time it has taken to get to this point.
“The early indications coming out of the announcement seem to suggest the confirmation we have all been looking for in Cork North-Central. Deputy Mick Barry opposite and all the Deputies in Cork North-Central have been fighting the corner for this hospital to be located in Glanmire, and it now appears that will be the case,” he said.
Mr O’Sullivan said he commended Minister Michael McGrath, for turning around the business case and the public spending code that the Minister of State mentioned in his response in a matter of weeks.
However, he was critical of delays of up to eight months within Health Minister Stephen Donnelly’s department.
“It is just unfortunate that the report spent eight months in the Department of Health sitting on a desk when the Taoiseach said that we need to start delivering major infrastructure like this,” he said.
“That it spent eight months sitting in the Department of Health does not fill me with confidence that we will work on large-scale projects like this as expeditiously as we need to,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the Government, junior minister Frank Feighan said: “I do not have the exact location but if the esteemed reporter from Irish Examiner says that it is in Glanmire then I suspect it is. But that has not been officially revealed yet.”
He said preliminary business cases will be coming to the Government for consideration very soon, most likely next week.
