Ms Eilísh Hardiman:

We assure the committee that we have involved parents to a great extent in designing the hospital. We had a family forum which was made up of family representatives. Many of those who have presented to the committee as members of the Connolly for Kids Hospital Group actually sat with us in designing the hospital. As such, we have engaged in meeting the requirements of families. From a family perspective, there are single rooms which will contain a bed for a parent to sleep comfortably with a child. In addition, there will be a family lounge within what we call "dressing gown distance" of the critical care units, including ICU and the neo-natal intensive care unit, which, because they tend to work on a 24/7 basis, can be noisy, particularly because there are ventilated patients. The family lounge will include 28 bedrooms, as well as a seating area, a kitchen area and showers in order that predominantly mothers but parents can stay within dressing gown distance of critically ill children. The planning application also included a 53-bed family accommodation unit adjacent to the front door of the children's hospital. That is where the Ronald McDonald House will be located. Ronald McDonald House has long experience in Dublin at Crumlin hospitaL, as well as internationally, in accommodating families who stay overnight or must travel long distances. Currently, there are 16 such beds available; therefore, 53 beds represents a significant increase. We receive requests for accommodation in Dublin in the children's hospitals and have matched that demand and planned for it. We intend to deliver these services.

One of the things at which we are looking in collaboration with Dublin City Council is what the accommodation around the hospital needs to be like more generally. There should be accommodation for key workers. I have worked in London and the USA where one was able to find an apartment near a hospital. We have not previously looked at this issue in the design of cities to support really big developments such as the planned campus at St. James's Hospital. We are looking at general accommodation needs which require to be met to support a campus of this size.