Mr. Eamonn Quinn:

I thank the Deputy for his question. The answer is that we recognise the Dublin-centric model, which the Deputy mentioned, but that has been on the basis that we are developing a unique hospital on a national all-island basis, as has been referred to by some members of the committee. That is necessarily developing a hospital for the whole of Ireland and all the children of Ireland on 39 clinical specialties. Supporting mechanisms have been put in place in terms of the models of care for the satellite centres. The Deputy is quite right that there is a need and demand around the country, not just in the Cork region but elsewhere in the country in terms of delivering a pediatric model of care. Much work is ongoing in terms of scoping that out and speccing out what that pediatric model of care looks like as it links into the central hub around the new children's hospital.