Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 November 2022
760. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made by his Department on a project for Galway University Hospital (details supplied) that was forwarded to his Department for approval in June 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58126/22]
View answerThe proposed new Emergency Department (ED) and Women & Children’s project at University Hospital Galway (UHG) is a large and complex proposal, which is in the early stages of design development.
The delivery of capital projects is a dynamic process and is subject to the successful completion of the various approval stages, in line with the new lifecycle approach of the updated Public Spending Code (PSC).
Since there has been a very significant increase in the scale and ambition for the proposals, now costed in the hundreds of millions, they are now subject to full scrutiny of the PSC for projects in excess of €100m. These are defined processes which all Departments and agencies are subject to and must follow to ensure that Government, as the approving authority for all major projects, can be satisfied that the project is the best means to achieve a policy goal and that we achieve maximum value for money for taxpayers.
The Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for the proposed Emergency Department (ED), Women & Children’s block at University Hospital Galway has been submitted to the Department and is currently being reviewed to ensure that it aligns with strategic policy considerations for the services proposed. If Departmental review is successful, the SAR will be submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (D/PER) for review in due course in line with PSC Gate 0 requirements. This additional scrutiny, required under the PSC, can ensure fuller risk mitigation, early identification of potential obstacles, and smoother execution of later stages of the project lifecycle.
If approval to develop the proposal is granted, a preliminary business case can be developed by the HSE and be brought forward for PSC Gate 1 review.
In the meantime, approval was granted for an interim emergency department at UHG, including additional resuscitation spaces, support accommodation and improved infection prevention and control measures. This interim ED and associated works can also serve as enabling works for the larger proposals; freeing up the site required for the proposed new block. Practical completion of the interim ED was achieved in July 2022 and became operational in October 2022.
