Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to build new hospitals in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35380/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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New hospitals are being developed in Dublin under a variety of initiatives. The Government has mandated the Health Service Executive to move forward with the development of a new national tertiary paediatric hospital on a site to be made available by the Mater Hospital. A joint HSE/Department of Health and Children Transition Group has been established for this purpose. Among the key items to be addressed are the definition of a high level framework brief for the new hospital, the transfer of the site from the Mater Hospital and the establishment of a Development Board for the new hospital.

The Government also noted that the joint HSE/Department of Health and Children task group recommended that the HSE undertake a review of the configuration of both adult acute services and maternity services in Dublin.

The Deputy will be aware of the major capital development currently in train that will provide extensive new and redeveloped facilities at the Mater Hospital.

Funding is available in the capital programme for the redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital.

The Deputy will also be aware that the Health Service Executive is undertaking a procurement process to select consortia to build and operate a private hospital on each of 10 public hospital sites, including St James's, Beaumont, Connolly Memorial and Tallaght hospitals in Dublin. This initiative will free up additional beds for public patients at these hospitals by transferring private activity to the new private hospitals. There has been a lot of interest in this initiative. The HSE has pre-qualified a number of bidders in respect of each site and is now in the process of evaluating outline proposals and shortlisting bidders.