Mary White (Fianna Fail)

In regard to Senator Fitzgerald's comment on the controversy about access, I would want my child to be treated in the best facility at the best location, as supported by the evidence. It is not edifying to see access being used as a political football. Hospitals are located cheek by jowl in every city in the world. The Government's priority is to provide the best standard of complex hospital care for children. To further this priority it is fully committed to the construction of the new national paediatric hospital on the Mater Hospital site. A paediatric hospitals operations group has been established to oversee ongoing network management and the enhanced integration of the three paediatric hospitals in advance of the transfer to the new national paediatric hospital. The report, Children's Health First, recommended that the new hospital be located alongside a leading academic teaching hospital in Dublin. The principle of locating it alongside a leading academic teaching hospital is in line with international best practice and enjoys widespread support.

The current estimated cost of construction of the entire project is €650 million, a significant reduction on earlier estimates. A total of €400 million will come from the taxpayer; €50 million from the HSE for the ambulatory and urgent care centre at Tallaght Hospital; €90 million from car park, research, education and other funding elements; and €110 million from philanthropy. While challenging, the philanthropic funding element is considered to be a realistic sum for a project of this size. The Minister investigated projects around the world which have been supported by philanthropic funding and I am sure this one will succeed if she puts her head to it. Construction of the new facility to merge the three children's hospitals on one site on Eccles Street, Dublin could start as early as next year and we are on target to admit the first patient in 2015.

Access and parking have emerged as the key issues because they are easy to speak about. The hysteria evident on the "Liveline" programme was over the top. Some have suggested the existing three hospitals should remain in place, but this would be a tragedy. The facilities at Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin and Temple Street Children's Hospital are desperately outdated and beyond improvement. Three years ago I had occasion to visit a child at Crumlin hospital. As an Irish person, I was embarrassed and shocked to see the state of the hospital. What was going on to allow the hospital to be run into the ground? I could have been in the Third World. As a country, we focused on economic development, with the result that we have beautiful state-of-the-art factories, but I will never forget the condition of Crumlin hospital. I do not know why previous Ministers for Health and Children did not realise there was a need for a new hospital many years ago. For that reason I am completely behind the Minister.

The debate must focus on the quality of care a tri-located hospital can provide for adults, children and maternity patients, the calibre of clinical staff it can attract and the ground-breaking cures its combined research facilities can unearth. The argument should not revolve solely around questions of access and parking. Dr. Eilish Hardiman, CEO of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, has stated that while total consensus among the medical community was never possible, the majority of paediatricians supported the project.

The new hospital will comprise 16 stories and cover 112,000 sq. m. The building will include 13 operating theatres for inpatient and day care cases, as well as two procedure rooms. All inpatient rooms will be en suite and contain facilities providing accommodation for parents. Family accommodation will also be made available adjacent to the Mater Hospital site by the Ronald McDonald House charity. The new hospital will include a therapy park, with hydro-pool and gym, play areas, a family resource centre and a hospital school.

I wish the Minister the best of luck in getting the facility up and running at the earliest opportunity for the sake of the children of Ireland.