Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important topic today. I am disappointed the Minister, Deputy Harris, is not present but I say that with no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne.

This is a very serious issue given the serious impact the project is set to have on all of the sickest and most vulnerable children in society and their families. As the Minister is aware, the concerns around the national children's hospital, NCH, do not simply relate to the cost, although that is a massive issue. The Sunday Business Postreported recently that the cost of the project has exceeded €1 billion, and that excludes the fit-out of the hospital. The project appears to have already overrun by hundreds of millions of euro. I estimate the cost overrun to be approximately €600 million, a staggering figure.

The main concern, however, is the impact the NCH project will have if it continues to be located at St. James's Hospital. There is enormous fear that best practice with respect to the co-location of the new national paediatric hospital is not being followed. That is very serious. It is absolutely vital that co-location occurs simultaneously. One could ask whether that is going to happen and but answer is "No", it most definitely is not. As a matter of record, the project director of the national paediatric hospital, Mr. Fitzpatrick, said in a recent talk at the Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, that it will be ten to 15 years before a maternity hospital is co-located with the NCH at St. James's.

In the meantime, we must examine what are the risks and outcomes for sick children. Those certain to be affected are babies born with congenital diaphragmatic conditions whose chance of survival will rapidly diminish. I beg the Minister of State to listen to those concerned. A total of 15 consultants from Crumlin have written a letter stating that if the maternity and paediatric services are not co-located, it will result in "avoidable deaths and disabilities for newborn babies".

I also wish to raise the point that for the NCH to be built, the St. James's outpatient department will have to be demolished and relocated as it currently occupies the space. Is anyone aware of that and the potential consequences? It will also mean, at the very least, that St. James's adult accident and emergency unit will have to be demolished and relocated as well as the intensive care unit, at enormous expense.

We can also mention the impact on the facility management hub at St. James's Hospital. All this is expected to add between €100 million to €200 million to the cost.

Where is the accountability? Is anybody listening? Organisations like Connolly for Kids and the Jack and Jill Foundation are ignored and locked out of committee hearings. This is disgraceful. What consultations have been held with ambulance drivers and paramedics? This issue has all the signs of becoming the new NAMA in a few years' time but this time children will have died or become disabled and families will have been ruined. A RED C poll in June 2016 showed that 73% of the public thought that St. James's Hospital was the wrong site. A total of 60,000 people signed a request to the Taoiseach in June 2016 to change the site to the Connolly and relocated Rotunda Maternity Hospital site in Blanchardstown at the M50-N3 interchange. The site location decision carries enormous adverse consequences for so many. It is still not too late to do what is right by sick children, their families and future generations. The public would respect the courage and integrity it would require to do that. We know the site at the M50-N3 interchange is accessible despite what I heard the Minister say earlier in reply to a parliamentary question. We all use that junction, which is accessible by road, rail and air.

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