Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health
Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion
2:00 am
Mr. Robert Watt:
Bernard has set out the rationale for the move, which I think is a very positive move. It is about responding to the issues that have arisen in the context of where we see paediatric care into the future being a bit more integrated into the wider service. That is really the rationale for it. It will not have any impact on the date for the opening of the hospital. The Minister, in her statement, made it clear that it is in 2027 that we hope to complete this. We are very much aware that the priority for CHI now is to provide the excellent care, which they do in most cases, for children in their services, to respond to the various very legitimate concerns that have been raised in various reports, which the Cathaoirleach listed, and of course, to commission the hospital, which is the largest hospital we have ever commissioned. It is an enormous undertaking. The Minister has announced that this is the direction of travel on very good policy grounds. It will not impact in the short run on the task of commissioning the hospital.
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