Hospital and transport legislation
Bernard Durkan asks about the children’s hospital, road transport legislation and a health transport Bill; the Taoiseach says the latter is likely early next year, while work continues on the others and an updated hospital timeline will be supplied.
Yesterday, when Deputy Martin raised the question of the new children's hospital establishment Bill, I could not hear the answer. Has the timeline been established for the passage of the Bill through the House and thereafter in respect of the hospital?
I refer to the road transport Bill, which aims to reduce the administration and associated costs of private road transport. Have the heads of the Bill been approved? Will it come before the House during this session? No. 96 is the health (transport support) Bill, which will offer some assistance for children with severe disabilities who cannot access public transport. Has it been approved and is it likely to come before the House at an early date?
Comment on this
No. 96 will probably be taken early next year. A great deal of work has taken place in respect of the Bill. The road transport Bill has not been approved by Government, although work is ongoing on it. A timeline for the national children's hospital was published, which involved planning permission being lodged and onwards. Of course, one can never speculate on the real outcome of that, because other matters might infringe on it. I will send the Deputy an updated timeline as produced by the board from the time it lodged planning permission to the estimated time of completion of the project.