The emergency department at Mayo University Hospital remains under significant pressure. The hospital is postponing a number of elective day cases and inpatient procedures due to high admission rates and pressure on the site. The signs for the winter ahead at Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar are not promising due to these issues. Given that the hospital and the HSE are aware of significant demands on the Mayo University Hospital emergency department and past failings in terms of treating patients in a timely manner, I cannot accept it will take another four years for a project to extend the emergency department to be progressed from design and procurement to delivery. I appreciate that the delivery of public projects takes time, but this is just excessive.

Will the Tánaiste examine how this project can be delivered more quickly, speak to the Minister for Health and address the structural issues within the HSE capital and estates team?

I am aware of the increase in overcrowding in our emergency departments in recent weeks. We are concerned going into winter, with Covid cases rising again and the risk of a flu season, that our hospitals could be extremely busy. With that in mind, the Minister for Health and the HSE have developed a winter plan and there will be bespoke plans for particular hospitals and regions. That is due to be discussed next week, I believe. I will make a point of raising Castlebar and Mayo University Hospital with the Minister as part of that meeting, and if we can speed up that project, we should do so. I share the Deputy's frustration about how long it takes to get some projects done. I will not even mention the University Hospital Galway emergency, paediatric and maternity facility, which is going on for far too long. On the other hand, other projects have been completed much more quickly, including those in Clonmel, Waterford and Drogheda, so it must be possible to do these things more quickly.