Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

As regards the proposed development at the Mater site, there is no question of any money being wasted on a new hospital. It is essential for the Mater, as one of the country's oldest hospitals. There are four hospitals in Dublin from which tertiary paediatric facilities are supplied to children from throughout the country. I do not believe there is any other place in the world with a similar population that has tertiary facilities spread across four sites. In the context of the future health care of children, clearly, the right decision must be made. There was a proposal for a new hospital——

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