A couple of weeks ago the Taoiseach agreed with me here that the mid-west needed an elective hospital given the massive overcrowding and that University Hospital Limerick, UHL, is simply too small. There are reports in the media that UL Hospitals Group, along with a number of others, has worked with a private organisation, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, UPMC, on building an elective hospital in the mid-west. Is this Government policy? Does the Taoiseach believe it should go ahead like that or, given what we have come through collectively in this House as part of Sláintecare, that the elective hospital in question should be publicly built, publicly owned and based at one of the health campuses within the mid-west, such as St. John's Hospital, Nenagh or Ennis?

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Sláintecare identified in priority terms that Cork, Dublin and Galway would have elective facilities. That was some years ago. It has taken a bit too long to develop these projects so I have told the Minister and the HSE I want these elective facilities developed. The most effective way to deliver them is on State-owned land, getting the design done and getting them delivered. That is happening in Cork and Galway has been identified. There is a bit more work needed in Dublin. I have the same principle with the mid-west, namely, keep it simple.

We need elective facilities. Where we have State land to provide those elective facilities, we should do so. There is always a myriad of interests in health that say they will do it here or there, or this group want to do it here. I do not understand why the State should not go ahead, develop and get this thing done.