Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a significant ongoing programme of work to prepare for the opening of the new hospital, including integration of the three hospitals and operational commissioning. This operational commissioning includes the clinical fit-out for the entire hospital, total digital integration and staff training to ensure the hospital can open and accept patients safely and also that the workforces and cultures of the three hospitals come together.

There are approximately 4,500 staff working across Children's Health Ireland. This is an increase of 26% since 2019. An extensive training plan is under development to support the transition of current staff to the new hospital. Since the definitive business case was finalised in 2017, the workforce plan for the hospital has been revised multiple times to take account of service developments. I am advised that there is active engagement between the HSE and CHI to revise this plan to take account of further service developments and ensure the right workforce is in place to staff the new hospital. This is something that will need to be revised continually as the population grows and as we build capacity, so I anticipate that the workforce plan will continue to evolve and grow.

I understand that there is broad agreement on overall numbers required and every effort is being made to bring this process to a conclusion as soon as possible. Any additional staff needed will be sought as part of the annual Estimates process in the context of overall prioritisation of available funding. Over the next number of years as the population grows, that must grow with it and that is our intention in an appropriate way but, for the moment, the workforce plan is there.

Regarding the opening of the hospital, I am assured by the builder that we will have the building at the end of June. I received that assurance verbally when I was there last week with the Northern Ireland Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt. I am assured by BAM that we will have the hospital at the end of June, which is what it committed to publicly in January. The hospital has advanced very considerably - even since I was there last October. We have agreed early access for CHI. I might pick that up in my supplementary reply.

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