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

I will be brief. I thank all Members for their contributions. We all want to see this hospital built as quickly as possible and we all want what is best for our children. I do not doubt any Member's bona fides in that regard.

It is an important time for the children of Ireland. At a time of immense financial challenges for our country, the Government is determined to follow through on its commitment to build a world class children's hospital. Ultimately, a nation can be judged on how it treats its children, particularly its sick children. On the St. James's Hospital campus we can achieve, over time, the ideal of a fully integrated tri-location of children, adult and maternity hospitals. The building can and must become the iconic symbol of our resolve to provide the best model of care for all the children of Ireland. It is also important to point out that it is often at times of greatest difficulty that we bring out the best in ourselves and can produce the best results. This is another opportunity to do that. Ultimately, it is about putting children first and even in these difficult times the new children's hospital can and will become a beacon for all of us. This decision will also advance the social and economic development of our city.

It is our duty and that of all the people involved - the hospitals, clinicians, all the staff in the hospitals, the general practitioners, GPs, all involved in primary care and those who will be tasked with building and delivering the hospital - to pull together as one.

I have no doubt this project will cause inconvenience in terms of traffic during its construction. I hope we remember the great prize we are looking to at the end of the process and that we show forbearance and good humour and help those who have this difficult job to do it as quickly as possible. Those in existing paediatric hospitals must, in effect, become one and be the new national children's hospital immediately, long before the facility is opened as the new national paediatric hospital. A wholehearted, co-operative effort is essential to the success of the project. I hope we will not hear about people representing the hospitals they previously represented as opposed to being interested in making the new hospital work on behalf of all children.

I intend to move quickly to set up the necessary structures and governance arrangements to enable the delivery of the project as quickly as possible and to the highest quality. The Government, the Department, the HSE, the partnership hospitals and I are determined to see the project happen. It can be a beacon for us in these difficult times. Let us make this, for all our children, a world-leading hospital of which we can be proud.

I thank all those involved for the hard work that has gone into the project. I am committed to providing the best possible health service for our children and their families. I look forward to progressing the building of the hospital as soon as possible, giving the children of Ireland a world-class hospital, which they deserve.

While I accept the spirit of amendment No. 1, I cannot accept the amendment as it would tie the hands of the Government in a manner that could be counter-productive and could place an additional burden on the Exchequer.

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