Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing my time with Deputies Catherine Byrne, Eric Byrne and Michael Conaghan.

Given my constituency, I am probably the only speaker present who does not have a vested interest in the location of the hospital. The old saying, "Prevarication is the thief of time", always springs to mind when dealing with the issue of the children's hospital. The children who are in need of such a service are not particularly interested in the location. While access, planning conditions and the facility are important, the delivery of an excellent, first class service for the children in need of it is of central importance. We really need to keep this in mind.

In the areas for which I am responsible, I am constantly trying to remind people it is not a question of the jobs associated with service delivery but of the individuals who need the service. We must continue to tell ourselves that.

We will have a first class service. I have direct experience, through a family member, of service delivery in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, and I noted the service was excellent, with incredible outcomes. However, the building was inappropriate and it is becoming increasingly inappropriate. We need to bring the type of medicine and service we deliver to our children into the 21st century. We need to do so in an environment in which the children feel comfortable, and we must ensure parents will be glad when the new hospital is built.

I congratulate the Government once again. The decision has been a long time coming. As the Minister said, let us get on with it.

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