Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman. I do not know where to start. I have lots of notes and I will just to through them quickly.

The mental health services in the hospital will be an improvement on what we have throughout the country, given that Linn Dara day patient services remain closed and I am still not getting answers on that. I acknowledge this is a hospital and the Minister is concentrating on inpatient services, especially mental health services, and the eating disorders which are prevalent and for which medicines have to be imported. In terms of Brexit, what will happen seeing as this hospital will not be operational for another few years?

While the emphasis of a hospital is on inpatient services, what community services will it offer to day patients or children attending for outpatient services? Home is the best place for children, in particular, children with mental health needs. How will we encourage community day care and what will the hospital offer on a national level apart from inpatient services in those instances?

I keep asking about the future of the Temple Street and Crumlin sites. Rumours abound about land being sold off. In particular, the deed for Our Lady's Children's Hospital stipulates the need for part of the site to retained for medical purposes. If the Minister could get me that deed to have a look at it, I would be grateful. We need to know the position. It is owned by the people. I would like to see what clauses the deed contains if the hospital, or part of it, was up for sale.

I refer to the impact that this overrun will have, as did Senator Ardagh. She and I are from the same area. My street is right underneath the children's hospital. I have put up with much inconvenience but I will go into that later. On the re-profiling, who dreamt that word up? It is a great word, and it is very American. Basically, it is the diluted way of saying that it will not happen. Whoever came up with it should get a pat on the back. In the use of language, Trump might be proud of us.

This is a local issue, in particular, for me and my neighbours and the surrounding areas off the South Circular Road in Kilmainham, Ceannt Fort, Mount Brown. I refer to the significant impact that this has had on these areas. Dublin City Council has now designated all our areas for 24-7 parking much to the disquiet of some residents who did not vote for it. There is a push to commercialise our historic neighbourhoods in that area. It is part of the inner city and it is obviously in high demand as the city grows. However, we have not protected residents in that area. We have taken away much of what there was previously. There is BAM, St. James's Hospital and the development board of the children's hospital and nobody will answer a question. They send one from Billy to Jack and nobody seems to take responsibility. I would be grateful if the Minister could have a little word with them, in particular, BAM, which apparently is a considerate contractor and is on the considerate contractors' scheme. If the Minister talks to anybody in the vicinity of the hospital, he will find that it is not considered to be a considerate contractor. Traffic management is chaotic and dangerous. I refer to the rat infestation and the subsidence of houses which has resulted in a legal wrangle for their owners with no response yet. It has taken two years so far. In 2015, the board was told about the unsuitability of the black soil at Ceannt Fort both by myself and residents. Engineers 100 years ago pointed out on a map prior to the estate being built that this land was not suitable for building. We were told not to worry that it was black soil but 100 years ago, without the technology we have today, engineers were able to point that out. However, that was ignored in the rush to get this hospital built. It was decided to ride roughshod over any objections at the time and to placate us in the hope that we would go away. The residents will not go away. However, I would like the Minister intervene and ask BAM to be more considerate and address the needs and questions of the local residents.

There is much more to say.