Long-promised new hospitals to reduce waiting lists for public patients face a setback after health officials were unable today to guarantee a timeline for construction - although they were originally due to be operational by 2027.
The hospitals earmarked for Dublin, Cork and Galway would carry out day surgeries and other procedures for public patients without the pressures of having an emergency department.
But health officials who were quizzed by TDs at the Oireachtas health committee today remained vague about progress, even though the planned hospitals continue to be part of public policy.
