Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 156: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will report on the situation with regard to the planned new children's hospital on a Dublin site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15715/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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On 3 February last, the Health Service Executive published a report which was prepared by McKinsey & Co., on the delivery of tertiary paediatric services in this country. This report was commissioned by the HSE following my request to it to arrange a review of those services. The report recommends that best outcomes for children would be obtained by developing one national tertiary paediatric centre, which would also provide all secondary paediatric services for the greater Dublin area. The report also recommends that ideally the new facility should be located on the site of, or adjacent to, a major adult teaching hospital in order to achieve the maximum service benefit for children.

Arising from the report's recommendations, a joint HSE-Department of Health and Children task group was established to progress matters and to advise on the optimal location for the new facility. The task group has worked intensively over the past six weeks and, in the course of its deliberations, a number of important issues arose that were not included in the group's original remit.

In particular, the importance of co-location with a maternity unit has been identified as an issue of significance. In addition, a number of proposals have been received from the private sector on the building of the new facility. The task group's remit has, accordingly, been extended to allow the group to examine the issues which have arisen, as a consequence of which the group is now expected to report in or around the end of May.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 157: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the discussions she has had with the Health Service Executive on the provision of a community hospital, ambulance base and primary care unit on the Tuam Health Campus site in Tuam, County Galway; the status of the project; when the project will be allowed to proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15562/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes responsibility for considering new capital proposals or progressing those in the health capital programme. Accordingly, my Department is requesting the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.