Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

As the Deputy appreciates, an extensive review of tertiary paediatric services was carried out by McKinsey and Company on behalf of the Health Service Executive. It recommended the establishment of a single — not a dual — tertiary paediatric hospital in Dublin. It also recommended that the hospital be co-located with a leading adult academic hospital. Subsequently, a joint task group was established between the Department of Health and Children and the HSE to advise on the optimum location for a single tertiary paediatric hospital, bearing in mind the recommendation that it be attached to an adult teaching hospital. That decision stands.

Based on that assessment, the task group recommended that the new national tertiary paediatric hospital be located on a site to be made available by the Mater hospital. The Deputy is well aware that a number of contending hospitals sought to have the single tertiary paediatric hospital located on their campuses. A decision was made on the merits and without political interference that it be located at the Mater hospital.

The task group's report and recommendations were then brought to, and endorsed by, the board of the HSE. They were subsequently brought to Government which mandated the HSE to move forward with the development of the new hospital and the urgent care service required to support it. A joint HSE-Department of Health and Children transition group has been established to advance the development of the new hospital.

The Crumlin report has been the subject of constructive discussions between the hospital and the group. The transition group is in the process of engaging consultants to prepare the high level framework brief for the new hospital and it has been agreed that the Crumlin report, to which the Deputy referred, will be taken into consideration in the preparation of the framework. My colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, has also had meetings with representatives from Our Lady's children's hospital in Crumlin and has assured them that she is committed to ensuring the national paediatric hospital will deliver a world-class service for the children of this country.

Based on its work to date the transition group is entirely satisfied that the Mater site has the space necessary to fully accommodate the new paediatric hospital. It is also satisfied that the future tri-location of maternity services on the site with adult and paediatric services in accordance with best international practice can be fully facilitated and represents the best way forward.

To go back to the Deputy's question, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, asked that the Crumlin report be taken into account, which is being done. However, the decision still stands.

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