Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

This section deals with the establishment order for the national paediatric hospital development board. In the case of this hospital, some of the best commentators in Irish health care have stated that the process used to make this decision, the way that it was handled and the way the decision was made, has been one of the least credible that they have seen in Irish public policy. Many parents, from the west of the city, from the south-west and from Kildare, who currently use Tallaght and Crumlin hospitals are extremely concerned at the access to the centre city site at the Mater and do not think it is a suitable location.

As the Minister of State will be aware, the position of Fine Gael has been to provide two hospitals to deal with the transport difficulties and the questions of access. I raised here previously the question of the golden hour and the access of parents and children where children are at risk of death. The question of access to a centre city site is an enormous one. Professor Drumm, when I raised this with him at the Joint Committee on Health and Children, stated that the transport issues would be dealt with by the time the site was ready for general use. However, it is hard to see the transport issues being dealt with effectively because parents with sick children will not use the Luas or buses, but will use cars, taxis and ambulances. I have serious reservations.

I understand the principle behind centres of excellence as it applies to children. I note that the board of Crumlin children's hospital recently talked about taking legal advice on the siting of the hospital. I also note the ongoing funding and development of the Crumlin site, which I find hard to understand if the intention of the Government is to close it down.

I would also make the point that the suggestion is that the fairly new Tallaght children's hospital, which is only ten years old, will be closed down completely as an inpatient facility. Originally, we were told we would be left with an accident and emergency department in Tallaght Hospital that would open for eight hours a day. I asked the Minister, Deputy Harney, about this and she told me that it would be open for extra hours, but I would make a plea that if there is to be an urgent care facility in Tallaght, it should be a 24-hour facility because that is what parents have access to at present. I understand the intention of the Government is not to provide inpatient beds, but I would ask the Minister to address this issue of adequate urgent care facilities.

The decision-making on the Mater site has been based to a large degree — I have looked at all the reports — on patterns of health care in American cities. I totally understand the need for centres of excellence for children's care, but the question of secondary care has not been considered adequately in the decision-making on the Mater site. We are doing away with secondary care facilities for children around the city and they will not be fully and effectively replaced on the Mater site.