Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 205: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, further to the fact that a decision has been taken to amalgamate the three children's hospitals and to locate the single hospital in the north inner city, the future plans for paediatric services outside this hospital, in particular, accident and emergency services for young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24535/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Report of the Task Group that was established by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to advise on the optimum location for the new national paediatric hospital was presented to the Board of the HSE on 1st June. The Report and its recommendations were endorsed by the Board. At its meeting on 8th June, the Government strongly endorsed the recommendations of the Board of the HSE, in line with the recommendation of the Report of the Task Group, that the new paediatric hospital be developed as an independent hospital on a site to be made available by the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.

It is now a matter for the HSE to move forward with the development of the new national tertiary paediatric hospital and associated urgent care centres, and to explore any philanthropic proposals in relation to its development.

The governance arrangements that will arise in the context of the amalgamation of the three children's hospitals will also be pursued, in particular the measures needed to ensure that the new children's hospital is multi-denominational and pluralist in character.