Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, for this opportunity to update the House on this important matter. The children's hospital project will truly transform how paediatric care is delivered in Ireland. The new children's hospital building is at the heart of this transformation bringing the acute paediatric hospital service and specialties in Children's Health Ireland under one roof for the first time, leading to improved clinical outcomes and a better experience for children, young people and their families. This is a much-needed and much-deserved investment in our children and young people and for the dedicated staff working in children's health in Ireland who are currently providing excellent care. This much-needed reform will support the expert tertiary and higher level care treatment for all children and young people, who represent 25% of our population, in world-class state-of-the-art facilities where healthcare providers can deliver care leading to better health outcomes.

In satellite centres we already see the benefits of the investment in the new children's hospital project with the two new pediatric centres in Tallaght University Hospital and Connolly Hospital helping to reduce waiting times for children, young people and their families. In 2022 more than 22,000 children presented to the urgent care centre at Children's Health Ireland, CHI, at Connolly Hospital. More than 92% were discharged home after their visit. There have also been more than 15,000 outpatients attending CHI Connolly. In 2022, more than 36,000 children presented to the emergency care unit at CHI at Tallaght Hospital with more than 4,000 outpatients attending. Both of the satellite centres provide a new model of ambulatory care fully aligned with Sláintecare, ensuring the right care in the right place at the right time.

On the naming of the hospital, which is the matter the Senator put forward for debate today, following its establishment Children's Health Ireland was put on a statutory footing in 2009 and the opening of the satellite centres in Connolly and Tallaght, Children's Health Ireland's sites are currently referred to as CHI Crumlin, CHI Temple Street, CHI Tallaght and CHI Connolly. As the physical building progresses apace on the new children's hospital there is an emerging need for a permanent name to be assigned to the hospital, as the Senator identified. A clear name and entity are essential for identification purposes to enable the organisation to raise awareness of its services and view the name with a positive messaging association. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, is aware of this need and of the importance of the name of the new children's hospital and as such the process for naming the children's hospital is currently under consideration.

I will conclude by noting that the new children's hospital is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a key enabler of strategic reform of the way we deliver health services for our children and young people. This hospital, and the wider pediatric network, will provide the right care in the right place and at the right time for the children and young people of Ireland. The process for naming the new children's hospital is currently under active consideration by the Minister.