The national development plan 2021-2030, clearly sets out the need for major infrastructural development and part of that infrastructural development is the building of three new elective hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin. The HSE South-South West submitted its plans in January. Robert Watt confirmed to the Joint Committee on Health on 28 September that we would have a decision by mid-October. I understand there was a meeting between the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform last Thursday. When will we get the decision on the new elective hospital for Cork? We have had a huge increase in population. It has increased over 170,000 in the last 20 years. We need new medical facilities. When will we have that announcement about identifying the site, getting on with the design and with the building of that facility?

As the Deputy knows, I am very keen to get this under way. This was originally announced six or seven years ago. The Minister for Health will be bringing a memo to Government shortly in respect of this. Progress has been made and when we have news I will come back to the Deputy on that.