Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 8 October 2015

Public Accounts Committee

National Paediatric Hospital Development Board Fund: Finance Statements 2013

10:00 am

Mr. John Pollock:

Absolutely. I suppose that was one of the risks that the board would have identified, that traffic is an issue. This is where our partner in the project, St. James's Hospital, which wanted this project on its campus so that we eventually deliver the Holy Grail of adult services, paediatric and maternity all on the one campus, is handing over the 12 acres of land and in doing that, it will be forfeiting car parking. At its simplest analysis, traffic is at its worst first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. That is when we all are going to and from work. However, when the children's hospital opens in 2019, there will actually be 240 less car parking spaces for staff than currently exist. Between now and 2019, a whole change in culture and behaviour will take place within the children's hospitals and within the adults'. Public transport is there. It is the best served hospital in the country for public transport. By forfeiting those 240 car parking spaces off, first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening, that frees up a bit of capacity. That is when people are coming to the outpatient services and we use up that capacity. What the analysis shows is that we are at 5% increase at peak, morning and evening.

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