Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

A review of tertiary paediatric services carried out by McKinsey & Company on behalf of the Health Service Executive, HSE, recommended the establishment of a single tertiary paediatric hospital in Dublin, co-located with a leading adult academic hospital. Subsequently, a joint HSE-Department of Health and Children task group was established to advise on the optimum location of the proposed new hospital.

Based on this assessment, the task group recommended that the new national tertiary paediatric hospital should be built on a site to be made available by the Mater Hospital. The task group's report and its recommendations were endorsed by the board of the HSE and by the Government, which mandated the HSE to move forward with the development of the new hospital and its associated urgent care centres and to explore any philanthropic proposition in respect of its development.

I am fully satisfied that the task group undertook a rigorous and robust examination of the key issues in making its recommendation. The task group conducted a thorough assessment and consideration of criteria such as the breadth and depth of tertiary services necessary to complement the paediatric hospital, ease of access, governance and site suitability.

A joint HSE-Department of Health and Children transition group has since been established to advance the development of the new hospital. Among the key items to be addressed by the transition group are the definition of a high-level framework brief for the new hospital and the determination of the range of services and location of the associated urgent care centres required to support the new hospital. The group will consult with relevant stakeholders in the course of its work.

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