THE PROPOSED Cork blood transfusion service centre, which has been repeatedly promised but not delivered, must get a firm date, according to Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen.
Mr Allen, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said plans were submitted to the Government for the centre five years ago and nothing had happened since.
According to Minister for Health Mary Harney, the issue will be raised at cabinet level when meetings resume next month.
Despite this, Mr Allen said verbal commitments had been repeatedly given, including by former minister for health and TD for Cork South Central Micheál Martin, but to no avail.
Blood-testing services were centralised in Dublin in 1999 and the then existing centre at St Finbarr's in Cork was set to close. This policy was changed in 2002 following an independent report which stated that dual-site testing represented best practice internationally.
A new centre was to be opened in Cork, plans for which were submitted by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Centre to the Government in 2003.
Mr Allen said progress had stalled since and he remained unconvinced that the current minister would advance it either.
"Micheál Martin told me this would get the go-ahead at the 'earliest possible date' four years ago. Clearly that was not true, as nothing has happened since. We now have Mary Harney giving the subject the same meaningless spin. I will be calling on her to clearly state where we are and when they plan, if ever, to go ahead with this vital piece of medical infrastructure."