Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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The good news in the programme for Government is that the national paediatric hospital will be built during its term. However, the saga of the national paediatric hospital continues. The Minister for Health and Children has indicated that he intends to review the decision to locate the hospital on the campus site of the Mater hospital. The original project started as a relatively modest proposal to upgrade the Children's University Hospital in Temple Street in 1984, almost 27 years ago. I know all about it because at the time I was chairman of Save Temple Street Children's Hospital.

A site was obtained on the campus of the Mater hospital for a new children's hospital to replace Temple Street hospital. Plans were drawn up and approved by the Department on two previous occasions and each of them was shelved. On New Year's eve 2006, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, pulled the plug on the most recent set of proposals just before the tenders were due to be opened for the Temple Street redevelopment on the Mater hospital site.

A special task force was established which proposed a world class national paediatric hospital as the way forward. This hospital would be located on an adult hospital campus and would require a co-location with a maternity hospital for maximum benefit for the children. The Mater hospital campus, in association with the Rotunda Hospital, was chosen by an expert committee as the most suitable location for the new hospital. It is difficult to see any other hospital campus fulfilling the required criteria in a more medically effective manner.

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board was established in May 2007 and the integrated design team was appointed in October 2009. The planning process is going ahead under the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, which applies to major health infrastructure proposals. From the early days of the Temple Street redevelopment €400 million had been set aside, or approximately three quarters of the cost of the project, to deal with that particular development and I understand that money is still available.

It is crucial that the review of the decision to locate the national paediatric hospital on the Mater hospital site is dealt with urgently. The children and the parents of the children in the existing children's hospitals deserve the service of an integrated world class child care facility, and that can only be provided now with the early construction of the national paediatric children's hospital. I urge the Minister of State that whatever review takes place does so at a very early stage and that this project is not put on the long finger. It has been long-fingered for over a quarter of a century and we cannot allow that continue in the interests of the children of this country.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy James Reilly. On his behalf I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment.

Enhancing quality care for Ireland's children and young people is a priority for the Government. It is the primary driver for developing the new children's hospital. It is widely accepted within the paediatric health care community that the sickest children requiring access to highly specialist professionals, equipment and facilities can only be accommodated in one children's hospital in Ireland. The amalgamation of Dublin's three children's hospitals into one organisation, with a single clear governance framework, will give the required cohesion and breadth of medical sub-specialties to provide such care for Ireland's sickest children. The Government's priority is to provide the best standard of complex hospital care for children in Ireland. To further that priority the Government, as set out under our programme for Government, is committed to the construction of the new children's hospital.

In late 2005, McKinsey and Company were engaged to advise on the future strategic organisation of tertiary paediatric services in Ireland. The resulting report, Children's Health First, recommended that the population and projected demands in this country could support only one world class tertiary paediatric hospital. It further recommended that such a hospital should be located in Dublin and should ideally be located alongside a leading adult academic hospital. The McKinsey report also recommended that the new children's hospital should accommodate the secondary care needs of children in the greater Dublin area, and that it should be a central component of an integrated national paediatric service, incorporating outreach capabilities and an adequate geographic spread of emergency type facilities in Dublin.

The new hospital will benefit from improved clinical effectiveness through inter-professional working that optimises clinical resources and leads to better outcomes for children. The hospital will accommodate a mix of inpatient and day care beds which will meet the health care demands of children and young people. The configuration of these beds reflects current international best practice with more critical care and day care beds within the overall bed complement. The hospital, along with the Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre at Tallaght, will also provide outpatient, day care and emergency services to children and young people, particularly in Dublin and surrounding areas. Since his appointment, the Minister has been having discussions with his officials and with the National Paediatric Hospital Board to brief himself on the work done on this project to date. The Minister wants to be clear about how we can best provide the hospital in the most cost effective manner while ensuring a high quality service for our children and young people.

The Minister is currently considering the evidence that has been presented to him and will make a decision, based on that evidence, as to how to proceed. In particular, the Minister wants to be satisfied that the hospital will provide the best possible clinical outcomes for children and young people; that it will be built in a location that best meets the needs of children and young people; and that the cost of building the hospital is both realistic and affordable to the Exchequer.

The Deputy can rest assured that the Minister will avoid any unnecessary delay to the development of this very important project.