Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a few questions that may not be pertinent to today's discussion. Regarding the naming of the wards, I know the wards in Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin have religious names. I know because I was on Nazareth ward. Has the hospital group discussed that? What direction is it headed?

I do not know if anybody here has actually parked in Tallaght Hospital multi-storey car park. It is a test of one's driving skills. It is particularly testing if somebody in the car is sick.

I have been in many multi-storey car parks in my life and it is probably the most difficult one to get up. It is very clear when one drives up through it that everybody else has a difficulty because there are metal and paint marks all over the walls. It is not unique to my driving. I have been in Tallaght and in Crumlin a number of times. Parking is the first experience people have whether they are going to see somebody in hospital, which is not as serious, or if they have a sick child in the car. I have read all the documentation. I am in favour of the car being taken from people so they can go in with their child in their arms. Directing people into a very narrow car park is an issue. If it is going to be tendered out to a private company, I hope that will be considered in the process. There should not be an obstacle course before people even get in the door of the hospital. I do not know about other children's hospitals but in Crumlin if one has a child who is an inpatient for a long period of time, there is a voucher system for parking. People present the voucher - a pink or yellow slip - and do not need to pay for their parking. If it is tendered out to a private operator, which has paid for the car park and is getting its money to pay back the bills for building it, will the hospital group be invoiced for parking for the parents of the very sick children? How will it work? Is it something that has been budgeted for? Will Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin be defunct? All the rooms have pull-out beds. It is fine if people are from Dublin but if they want to wash some clothes for their children or themselves, are there facilities like that for families from outside the greater Dublin area that might not have family in the area? Are there facilities to organise a bit of food, wash clothes out or prepare things for children? I understand allowances of certain amounts are authorised out of fundraising money. It might be an issue for some people so I want to clarify it in case I misinterpreted the witness. If the hospital group is giving money on a monthly basis to the current children's hospital, many people would be surprised if that was in any way being channelled into salaries. Will the witnesses clarify that in case anything arises in the committee proceedings which is not entirely correct?