Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

This is a two-pronged issue. We need to discuss the delays in the development of a national children's hospital and the reduction in bed capacity at the children's hospitals that are currently operating as a result of the cutbacks introduced by the Government.

A total of 25 beds in Crumlin and ten beds in Temple Street are closed due to budget cuts, forcing children to wait longer to be admitted to a ward and forcing them to stay longer than they should in emergency departments. Overall, 60% of children on inpatient waiting lists are there for more than three months, 50% of children on day case waiting lists are there for more than three months, while 2,500 children are on the waiting list for elective or day treatments. That is the situation at our children's hospitals. They are not operating to capacity because the Minister is restricting their budgets.

One year into the Minister's tenure, we are further behind than ever in respect of the national children's hospital. Today he moves on to his second review of that hospital. Only last week, in response to An Bord Pleanála's decision, I heard him talk about more grandiose elements of the children's hospital. He has been in his job for a year. If he felt that some elements of the children's hospital were grandiose, why did he not address them after he came to office? If it is the case, following the first review, that the Minister said that the Mater Hospital is the right site for the hospital, why has he said in the newspapers this week that he is not sure where he wants to place it? If it was the right site this time last year when he entered office, why is he not looking to amend the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act in order that he can proceed with it and ensure we do not wait any longer than we have done for a hospital that befits the health needs of our children?

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