Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I am also very concerned about the situation regarding our existing paediatric hospital sites in Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght. I am particularly concerned about the hospitals in Crumlin and Temple Street because front line service providers have spoken out and made the case very strongly that one cannot suspend the resourcing of these services while the construction of the new hospital gets under way, and we are not even at that starting point yet.

Reflecting on the earlier comments, I appeal to the Minister not to use the intention of moving to a new paediatric national hospital as a reason not to continue to properly resource the existing paediatric sites, because there is ample evidence of intolerable situations where children are left waiting in totally inappropriate circumstances in accident and emergency departments trying to access beds in a number of these sites. I appeal to the Minister to say something positive on this matter.

The Minister indicated the Dolphin group would not have the responsibility for site selection but would report to the Minister on the various proposals presented heretofore. Do these include the very recently circulated proposal from the Coombe hospital? As far as I am aware, it was presented in the past week. Will the Dolphin group have an opportunity to appraise all cases known during the course of its period of deliberation? Will it offer an opinion on all of these and others which may yet present before it concludes its business? How soon after it reports does the Minister intend, and with whom, to make the decision?

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