Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

I welcome the announcement, however temporary, that the closure of two more wards and another operating theatre at Crumlin hospital will not go ahead next month. As we know, one 25-bed ward and one theatre have already been closed, leaving longer waiting times for sick children. The long-term consequences after the summer months will only bring increased hardship and anxiety to parents throughout the country when the closure of these wards comes into operation.

Our Lady's Children's Hospital is a very special place. It is more than just a hospital for sick children; it is a place where the family and extended members are placed at its very heart. The hospital prides itself on its relationship with not only the sick child, but also with the families and extended family members, making it unique in modern day health service. There is an urgency for the Minister not only to provide a temporary solution to this ongoing situation, but to deal with this continued uncertainty once and for all.

As a parent of five children, I have on many occasions made the midnight dash to Crumlin hospital when one of the children had become unexpectedly ill. At all times, the hospital and staff went beyond the call of duty to ensure that everything was done both medically and emotionally to reassure both parent and child. In Crumlin, we have a hospital of excellence, a home from home in the heart of a living community where people down the years have given it every support possible through fundraising and particularly through voluntary activities. I do not understand, nor do the people of the area, what is the rationale for this decision to move what is a much-loved hospital to a location which is plainly one of the most unsuitable sites in the city. There is no obvious reason to move the hospital to another location when it has such a track record of excellence and is situated on a 12-acre site in Crumlin within easy reach of the Luas, trains, buses and so on.

When a parent is confronted with the illness of their child, all other life is put on hold. The state of the national economy is way down the priority list. What is important is the medical care, the child-friendly atmosphere and the accessibility of the hospital. All these have been tried and tested in Crumlin. Despite the recent cutbacks and reduction of services in the hospital, the staff continue to provide an excellent service and a proper standard of care for children who are seriously ill and also for those who present for just an hour or two. In the coming months, and in the current climate, the Minister will have the opportunity to reassess the decision to relocate Crumlin hospital to the Mater hospital site. There is a now a real urgency to take decisive action and to channel funding into Crumlin hospital, which is ready, willing and able to meet the current and future needs of all sick children throughout the country.

For many years, I have been very much a part of a choir in my community. I have sung at the regular mass and one of the songs we continue to sing at the children's mass is "Suffer little children". I believe the words of this song relate to Crumlin hospital today. Children do not have to suffer when all the facilities and, in particular, the staff are in place. We have a real opportunity to change many of these lives and to give children who are seriously ill the opportunity to laugh and play again with their friends and again become part of their family home and community.

I welcome this motion put down by Deputy James Reilly and thank him for allowing me some of his time to speak on the matter. This hospital is very much a part of me as I have grown up in the area and lived there all my life, and have on many occasions, voluntary and otherwise, been within its grounds. I urge the Minister to reconsider immediately the decisions that have been made and, first, to keep the wards open continuously and, most of all, to reconsider the location of Crumlin hospital.

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