James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:endorses the decision of Government to proceed with the construction of the new children's hospital on the St James's campus on the recommendation of the Minister for Health;

expresses its desire to see this project now proceed as soon as possible, commensurate with the best possible design for optimal quality and safety in the provision of paediatric hospital services for children, with maximum efficiency and value for money and, in this context, supports the Minister's work for the establishment of the appropriate structures to ensure quality assurance, advice and guidance of the project;

welcomes the Minister's decision to bring the three existing hospitals together to form a single Hospital Group as soon as possible, with a single cohesive governance structure, a single budget and a single voice for children's healthcare, to help ensure the most effective development and future running of the hospital;

urges all the key stakeholders to cooperate and collaborate fully, to enable this project to be delivered in the quickest possible time, and in doing so, to produce a world class hospital which will serve as a beacon and an example of effectiveness and best practice of which the entire nation can be proud;

welcomes the publication of the report of the Review Group on the National Children's Hospital (the Dolphin Report) and expresses gratitude for the work of the Dolphin Group in supplying the firm evidence base for this key decision;

expresses gratitude to all those who made submissions to the Dolphin Group; and

supports the Government's determination to ensure that this hospital, which is urgently required, will now be delivered.

I will share time with the two Ministers of State and other speakers.

On Tuesday I was delighted to announce that the Cabinet had accepted my recommendation to develop the new children's hospital at the campus of St. James's Hospital in Dublin. The rejection by An Bord Pleanála earlier this year of the proposal to develop a children's hospital on the Mater hospital site was very disappointing, especially given the many real strengths of that location. In response, I established a review group chaired by Dr. Frank Dolphin to advise me on the best way forward, and the group presented its report to me in June. Unfortunately, after careful consideration and further detailed analysis, the Government decided it could not proceed with a site with such a significant planning risk.

In identifying the new site, we have carefully considered the report of the Dolphin group along with detailed supplementary information on cost, time and planning issues. I must again express my praise to Dr. Dolphin and his group for the key role they played in helping us reach our conclusion. The report of the Dolphin group reiterates what all previous reports on the children's hospital have stated: any decision must be based first and foremost on clinical considerations. Both the Mater hospital and Saint James's Hospital have the necessary clinical mass. Both are at the cutting edge of Irish health care. However, the Dolphin report and subsequent work undertaken by members of that group have made it very clear that the planning risks associated with the Mater hospital site are still significant.

The decision about where the new children's hospital should be situated was not an easy one. Over the summer the Department and I looked closely at all the proposals submitted, each of which had its own particular strengths. I thank all the hospitals which took part in the review process for their hard work and dedicated enthusiasm. In the end, however, a decision had to be made. There can never be a perfect site but, as has been said before, we must not let perfection be the enemy of excellence.

This decision has been made in the best interests of children, with clinical considerations being paramount. It is essential the new children's hospital can deliver best clinical outcomes for children. Co-location with an adult hospital has been deemed essential by the Dolphin report, and by all previous reports on this issue, while tri-location with a maternity hospital is optimal. Co-location, and ultimately tri-location with a maternity hospital, on the St. James's Hospital campus will support the provision of excellence in clinical care that children deserve.

I intend to move quickly to put in place all the necessary arrangements to enable the delivery of this project as quickly as possible and to the highest quality. This Government regards the building of the new children's hospital as a key priority and no effort will be spared in expediting its completion. We must now get on and build this hospital to the highest quality with best value for money as quickly as possible to ensure children receive the best possible treatment in the best possible environment.

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