Ms Tracey Conroy:

We want the capital project to act as a lever to drive a radically reformed paediatric model of care, which is all around a network of services. Therefore, the children's hospital will act as a hub and support an integrated national network for paediatrics. One will have much strengthened and interconnected roles at a regional level in Cork, Limerick and Galway, and at a local level. That is not just for the 17 paediatric units located around the country but in the non-acute side as well. That is the core aspect of the paediatric model of care that we are delivering here.

Let us consider the national policy that the Department has brought to Government and published in the past few years. Whether it is the national trauma strategy, the national maternity strategy, the national cancer strategy or work that is ongoing in Sláintecare, it is all about ensuring that we provide care at the right level, at the right time, in the right place, and as close to home as possible. Even though the national trauma strategy was developed and published by the acute hospitals division in the Department, it is much more about rehabilitation than about acute services. It is a key part of the strategy. I know that the HSE is very conscious of that when implementing the strategy.

I could not agree more with the Senator's statement that the Department needs to interact with all sectors to ensure there are better outcomes and experiences for patients. That agenda is at the core of the Healthy Ireland policy. There is a huge amount of collaborative work going on between the Department and all Departments, agencies and sectors to promote that agenda. There is a huge amount of work going on in the context of the children's hospital in that regard with everybody from the Dublin City Council and all kinds of agencies. I know Mr. Pollack is very fluent on this in terms of describing how the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, in progressing the capital project, even at this stage and prior to completion, is engaging with the local community to harness the economic benefits of the project, from a health and other points of view.