Reference was made earlier to Independent Ireland and a vote in the European Parliament. I want to put on the record that Independent Ireland issued a statement to make it very clear that we stand with the people in Limerick and surrounding areas who have large mortgages and young families. The facts are not out yet on the percentages one way or the other. I want that on the record rather than innuendo being spread.

Every one of us here has probably had contact with the National Rehabilitation Hospital. It does great work to bring people, who were involved in accidents, suffer strokes or have different illnesses, back to full health. It is to be commended on what it has done down through the years for many families. Phase 1 of its project was finished in 2020. It was actually brought in on budget and has been a huge success. Phase 2 is to bring add-on parts of it all together in a new build. Phase 3 will increase the number of beds from something like 125 to 220 or 230.

One of the Minister's party colleagues announced in 2018 that Roscommon would get a specialised 20-bed unit to cover the west and north west. There are satellite units in Mayo, Galway and other counties throughout the country. While the huge work being done there is acknowledged, it is widely known that there is basically a waiting list of a minimum of six months, which, for people who need the help and the expertise the National Rehabilitation Hospital gives, can be a long time waiting. In some cases if people do not get in in time, it may have an adverse effect. When will the Government put the capital into phase 2 and phase 3? For the specialised unit to cover the west and the north west, which was announced eight years ago, where are we at in making sure that it will complement the National Rehabilitation Hospital here in Dublin and take pressure off it? When will the beds be supplied in phase 3 here in Dublin?

I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for a very important and timely question on the National Rehabilitation Hospital. From our constituency clinics and working in our community, we all know how important a piece in the jigsaw of rehabilitation the National Rehabilitation Hospital is. Critically what really stands out is the work that can be carried out for patients with early intervention after accidents, acquired brain injuries or traumatic experiences. We are all very aware phase 1 was opened three years after construction commenced in October 2017. The facility represented a €129 million investment on behalf of the State. Phase 2 will provide 120 new beds and provide additional outreach to Deputy Fitzmaurice's constituency and other constituencies around the country, which will be very welcome and very much supported.

I understand that phase 2 proposals are estimated to cost more than €200 million. A strategic assessment is currently being prepared in accordance with the Government's infrastructure guidelines. The Deputy will know of decisions taken over the past number of weeks to speed up capital infrastructure. We will deliver €175 billion in infrastructure over the next decade. It is critical that the Government can carry out the assessments that underpin that delivery on a timely basis. The assessment is being prepared under the revised infrastructure guidelines. I am not aware that the Department of Health has received the final assessment to give it the go-ahead as of yet. I am very much aware of this and I will bring the Deputy's comments to the Minister for Health. The National Rehabilitation Hospital has been an important a piece in the jigsaw for so many patients who find themselves there as a result of an accident, illness, injury, or physical or cognitive disability. It has been critical in their rehabilitation and in many cases bringing them back to functioning in society again, which is so important.

Under the investment plan, the Department of Health has a record capital allocation to deliver a world-class health system, supporting citizens right across the country. We have a lot of work to do and the NRH would be very much to the forefront of my mind. I will make the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, aware of the Deputy's concerns. I hope that under the new revised infrastructure guidelines the report will be delivered in a timely manner and critically that we can get on with delivering phase 2 of this much-needed facility.

I thank the Minister. However, there is one thing we need to know. It is important the Department of Health and indeed the Department of public expenditure engage with the people involved in the National Rehabilitation Hospital. We frequently hear about assessments. As the Minister is aware, the reality that it takes six months for some people to get in the door to get on the road to recovery. While initially they may be in step-down services trying to help them as best they can, they need the expertise of the National Rehabilitation Hospital. When will phase 2 be funded and started? I think all the parts of it are done, bar funding. When will the specialised unit be put in place in Roscommon to serve the people in the west and the north west?

I would see that as a matter of urgency. In tandem, the Department of Health is currently preparing a business case, which has to be done through the infrastructure guidelines. As the Deputy quite rightly points out, the improvements that the facility can make for people with early intervention have been demonstrated. That is critical. I have seen the work the hospital does, particularly for those who have been involved in very traumatic experiences. I will raise the Deputy's concern in relation to outreach in Roscommon with the Minister for Health. I would be confident that this decision will be made quickly. It should not be about funding. We have a very significant war chest of €175 billion over the next decade to deliver public infrastructure. The critical thing - the Government has experienced this - is getting the money spent, getting it into the bricks and mortar and ensuring that we can get it through the process quickly. One thing we have learned over the past number of years is that we have to get a lot better at delivering public infrastructure. We have set the guide rails to do that. We will spend about €19.1 billion this year, an increase of 54% in two years, which demonstrates the real ambition of the Government.