Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the decision to locate the new national children's hospital on the site of St James's Hospital. I respect the decision of the Dolphin review group, which considered the options and chose carefully. Ultimately, the choice of site has been made purely for the benefit of sick children and their families. It is a question of health and well-being and not of political point scoring. It is also a question of ensuring sick children are looked after in the environment most important to them.

The site of St James's Hospital will work very well. The decision to locate the new hospital there has been welcomed warmly. I am sure my colleagues in the Chamber, on both Government and Opposition sides, will do their utmost to ensure we can proceed as quickly as possible despite all the difficulties that may arise.

The site fulfils all the relevant criteria, including having adult and paediatric hospitals side by side. The site enjoys great services, including the Luas and a good bus service. I live very close to it. I do not envisage too many significant barriers to building a hospital that has been so long awaited. The sooner we have the green light to go, the better. The hospital will be most welcome for everybody in the country, not just those in the James's Street area.

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