Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

The good news in the programme for Government is that the national paediatric hospital will be built during its term. However, the saga of the national paediatric hospital continues. The Minister for Health and Children has indicated that he intends to review the decision to locate the hospital on the campus site of the Mater hospital. The original project started as a relatively modest proposal to upgrade the Children's University Hospital in Temple Street in 1984, almost 27 years ago. I know all about it because at the time I was chairman of Save Temple Street Children's Hospital.

A site was obtained on the campus of the Mater hospital for a new children's hospital to replace Temple Street hospital. Plans were drawn up and approved by the Department on two previous occasions and each of them was shelved. On New Year's eve 2006, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, pulled the plug on the most recent set of proposals just before the tenders were due to be opened for the Temple Street redevelopment on the Mater hospital site.

A special task force was established which proposed a world class national paediatric hospital as the way forward. This hospital would be located on an adult hospital campus and would require a co-location with a maternity hospital for maximum benefit for the children. The Mater hospital campus, in association with the Rotunda Hospital, was chosen by an expert committee as the most suitable location for the new hospital. It is difficult to see any other hospital campus fulfilling the required criteria in a more medically effective manner.

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board was established in May 2007 and the integrated design team was appointed in October 2009. The planning process is going ahead under the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, which applies to major health infrastructure proposals. From the early days of the Temple Street redevelopment €400 million had been set aside, or approximately three quarters of the cost of the project, to deal with that particular development and I understand that money is still available.

It is crucial that the review of the decision to locate the national paediatric hospital on the Mater hospital site is dealt with urgently. The children and the parents of the children in the existing children's hospitals deserve the service of an integrated world class child care facility, and that can only be provided now with the early construction of the national paediatric children's hospital. I urge the Minister of State that whatever review takes place does so at a very early stage and that this project is not put on the long finger. It has been long-fingered for over a quarter of a century and we cannot allow that continue in the interests of the children of this country.

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