Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

We heard with surprise and shock this morning about the decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission for the national children's hospital which is needed more urgently than ever in view of the serious crisis in the existing pediatric hospitals. The refusal of An Bord Pleanála means one can only appeal to the High Court on a point of law. Otherwise, one must start again on the tortuous road of seeking permission from the local authority and then going back to An Bord Pleanála. The children of Ireland should not be asked to wait such a protracted period for the provision of the national children's hospital that was envisaged. As the hospital is critical national infrastructure, will consideration be given to proposing an immediate amendment to the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act whereby it could be defined as critical infrastructure? It would be a very simple change. This would avoid having to take the long road back and an interactive process could be entered into with An Bord Pleanála to resolve the issues it has with the planning application. It would expedite the urgent provision of a national children's hospital for the children of Ireland.

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