Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for arriving late but I had to attend a funeral in Tipperary and hence my absence.

I want to be assured that the easiest and fastest access to a children's hospital is the optimum, particularly at rush hour or peak traffic times. At other times it does not make a difference as it is easy to reach the required destination. As has been mentioned, the M50 is always extremely overcrowded at peak times and sometimes it is virtually impassable. Some people even refer to it as a carpark in the morning and evening peak times. If anything goes wrong, the M50 gets blocked for quite a while.

We must aim to provide the highest quality and most extensive services at the one location, in so far as is possible, in order to ensure there is a service available to patients and their families.