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

I thank Members for raising this matter and for their considered contributions. It is clear from the debate that this House shares a commitment and determination, as does the Government, to ensure that the children in Ireland and of Ireland and their families can access world-class health services as soon as possible.

I am sad to say that I myself am sick to the stomach of trying to understand this, which is a real issue for me, because we are back here again in the Dáil Chamber talking about the location and site of the new national children's hospital. In 2005, as Lord Mayor of the city, I visited the Mater site. It was clear to me then that it would not be built there. Here we are again 12 years down the road. Finally, we have planning permission and a decision from the independent An Bord Pleanála to build on this site but there are still challenges in the Chamber this evening that are all about the site and not about the sick children. There was plenty of opportunity during the oral hearing and during An Bord Pleanála's process to submit any difficulties that people had. Unfortunately, a lot of the Members who are speaking today did not even bother to do that. I do not know where they are coming from now. That are all of a sudden jumping on the bandwagon and scaremongering people, particularly families who have very sick children around the site in Dublin South Central-----

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