Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, Pádraig O’Sullivan, has welcomed confirmation of an agreement with landowners that will enable a new access road for Cork’s long-anticipated elective hospital, allowing the HSE to advance to the planning stage.

Deputy O'Sullivan said he was pleased to see movement after working to bring the HSE and landowners together to resolve the access arrangements in recent months.

Deputy O'Sullivan said: "This is a good day for the people of Cork. We have been talking about this hospital for far too long, and it is very welcome to see real progress being made on the ground. I am particularly pleased to have played a role in helping to move this issue forward. Since December 2025, I have been liaising with landowners and the HSE on multiple occasions to help facilitate discussions around the access arrangements for the site.

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"Those conversations helped bring the relevant parties together and provided an opportunity to work through the issues involved. I am delighted that agreement has now been reached and that the HSE can move forward with the next stage of this important project.

"This is a significant development for Cork. The HSE now has the ability to progress its planning application for the hospital and the new access road, and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that momentum is maintained."

He said the proposed elective facility would be central to boosting capacity and easing the burden on Cork’s acute hospitals.

Deputy O'Sullivan added: "Cork needs this hospital. Our acute hospitals continue to face enormous pressure, and providing dedicated capacity for elective procedures will be an important part of improving how healthcare is delivered across the region. The people of Cork have been waiting for this project for years. We have seen plans come and go, but this progress gives us a real opportunity to move from talking about the hospital to actually delivering it.

"There is still a planning process to go through, and we need to see that process progress as quickly as possible. But reaching agreement on the access arrangements means the project can now move forward in a meaningful way."

He also confirmed he will keep working with the HSE, Cork City Council and Government to sustain progress.