Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I will be very brief because Senator Hayden touched on the subject I was going to speak about. In the wake of the children's rights referendum last Saturday, it is paramount that we protect the welfare and well-being of every child in this State and a world class national children's hospital is key to that. In the development of the new site, as Senator Hayden said, I hope the families of sick children will be considered and catered for because it is a very traumatic time for families when they have a very sick child. As a rural Senator coming all the way from Kerry, I know many families struggle financially to afford accommodation in Dublin. The Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin is an invaluable and affordable service for families having to travel to Dublin with sick children. Have negotiations taken place with the Ronald McDonald service in regard to the new site? In the development of a world class hospital, we must cater for the needs of families as well as children.