Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

The faculty of paediatrics in Ireland, which is the educational and professional arm of the institute for paediatrics attached to the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, said in a recent statement that it strongly supports the proposed new national paediatric hospital and recommends that adequate funding be provided to equip and staff the hospital to the best international standards in child care. The faculty recommended that the project proceed as a matter of urgency and stated it is keen to advise in the ongoing discussions on the optimum delivery of care for children.

There are individuals, and I do not want to take away from this, who are not enthusiastic but in my view they are in a minority. A case has been advanced for a stand-alone site on the periphery of Dublin in my constituency. We have been told it would cost half as much. It would also be half the size. It would be a stand-alone facility, not co-located with an adult hospital or a maternity hospital. Not only are all the recommendations on paediatrics that there should be co-location with adult and maternity hospitals, the maternity review has recommended there should be no more stand-alone maternity hospitals. They are a thing of the past. Worldwide, stand-alone hospitals in any area are a thing of the past. The recommendation on maternity is that the Coombe Women's Hospital should move to Tallaght Hospital, Holles Street hospital should move to St. Vincent's Hospital and the Rotunda Hospital should move to the Mater Hospital site for many of the same reasons it is recommended paediatrics should be co-located with adult hospitals.

To return to a question asked by Senator Norris, the Bristol inquiry stated, "quality and safety should prevail over ease of access".