Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the cost, the capacity, the specialties and the time scale of the proposed new Children's Hospital at the Mater site; the facilities for children which will be available elsewhere in the city for urgent care and admission. [27729/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Following receipt last February of the report "Children's Health First", which was prepared by McKinsey & Co, a joint Health Service Executive/Department of Health and Children Task Group was established to advise on the optimum location of the proposed new hospital.

Following extensive examination, discussion and consultation among the relevant stakeholders the Report of the Task Group was completed, and 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.

The Government mandated 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.

My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to reply to the Deputy directly in relation to its plans for progressing the development of the new national paediatric hospital.