Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I am satisfied the model of care being put in place will deliver higher quality care to very sick children from the whole country. This is not only a hospital for Dublin. It is a hospital for the entire country. Between 40% and 45% of the patients will come from outside the Dublin area. This is the model of care that operates in the best children's hospitals in the world, such as those in Toronto, Philadelphia, Chicago and one being put in place in Manchester.

It is not true that the other hospitals have refused to nominate persons to the development board. Tallaght hospital wished to send somebody to the meeting last Monday. It said it had not chosen its representative on the board and asked if it could send a different person. A view was taken by the chairman that it would be better to wait until its representative could sit on the board.

On 8 March 2007, I made it clear that we would establish the development board. Mr. Philip Lynch was announced as chairman designate. He and I consulted the three hospitals affected regarding the appointments to the board. I made it clear that as soon as that consultation process was completed and the legal instrument was in place I would sign it. There was no question of that not happening. Nothing secret was done. The process began on 8 March.

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