Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their comments on the national children's hospital. I agree with them that it needs to be built now and I understand that if it does not go ahead this time, we will never get the hospital we need for very sick children. I have been following the television programme on Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin. I spent some time there with my grandson a few weeks ago. My grandson was not sick but he was in there for a reason. In respect of being in a room where one could even put in a cot and possibly a chair, one looked at very sick children being confined to very small rooms. The staff were doing their best, but in the long run, we need a new hospital. The one thing that has really encouraged me about the planning application is the input of young people who were sick, who have gone from being very young to being young adults and how they coped within the confines of the hospital and other hospitals. They have made a huge impact. When I chaired the meetings, I came away believing these young people had put the nail in for the hospital going ahead. I hope it goes ahead sooner rather than later. I thank the witnesses for their comments on the Coombe.