Mr. Derek Tierney:

Perhaps I will provide a note after the meeting. Certainly, it is open and it is performing. We are already delivering. I can confirm, for the record, that the outpatient emergency care centre in Tallaght, currently in its first year of operation, has provided at least just under 3,000 additional outpatient appointments. We have seen just over 25,000 emergency care presentations between January and September of this year. The number of outpatient appointments has been increasing throughout 2022, as four new paediatric consultants took up posts throughout the year, with the final appointee having taken up their post.

I can also confirm that Children’s Health Ireland, CHI, Tallaght accommodates the existing children’s emergency care unit relocated from the adult hospital and will expand outpatient services to children and young people from Dublin south west, south city and the surrounding areas of Kildare and Wicklow.

I was struck by Deputy Durkan’s comments earlier on. We committed to build a stronger communications campaign around how we are performing both in Tallaght and Connolly, even as we are nearing completion of construction on St. James’s campus.