Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if Cavan General Hospital is expected to receive all surgical transfers from Monaghan Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35546/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department has contacted the HSE and is advised that a protocol for the management of surgical patients within Cavan/Monaghan Hospital governs the circumstances in which a surgical patient may be transferred from Monaghan to Cavan.

The protocol was drawn up by a group chaired by the lead consultant surgeon in Cavan/ Monaghan and included representatives of staff in medicine, surgery and emergency medicine at both hospital sites as well as the surgical services co-ordinator and the risk manager for Cavan/Monaghan. The protocol reflects principles in the north east inter-hospital patient transfer policy, governing transfers among the five north east hospitals and between these hospitals and hospitals outside the north east.

My Department is advised that the protocol emphasises the importance of communication between consultants referring patients from one hospital to another. It also emphasises the importance of Cavan Hospital accepting the transfer of surgical patients from Monaghan, but also allows for the transfer of surgical patients from Monaghan directly to a tertiary surgical centre where the patient's condition warrants this and where such a transfer can be effected.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the implications for other paediatric units around the country if the Health Service Executive feel it necessary to close a facility like the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght. [35533/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy will be aware that a review of tertiary paediatric services undertaken by McKinsey & Company on behalf of the Health Service Executive recommended that:

the population and projected demands in this country can support only one world class tertiary paediatric hospital;

it should be in Dublin and should ideally be co-located with a leading adult academic hospital;

it should also provide all the secondary (i.e. less complex) hospital needs of children in the Greater Dublin area; and

these secondary services should be supported by strategically-located Urgent Care Centres.

Following extensive examination, discussion and consultation, the joint HSE/Department of Health and Children Task Group that was established to advise on the optimum location for the new hospital recommended that the new national tertiary paediatric hospital should be built on a site to be made available by the Mater Hospital. This recommendation was accepted by the Board of the HSE and was subsequently endorsed by the Government, who mandated the Executive to move forward with the development of the new 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, and the determination of the range of services and location of the urgent care centres required to support the new hospital. Other key actions that will be pursued by the Transition Group are the transfer of the site from the Mater Hospital, the determination of co-ordination policies between the new hospital and other hospitals (including those outside of Dublin), and the establishment of a Development Board for the new hospital.

The Transition Group will have consultations with relevant stakeholders in the course of its work.

To date, no decision has been taken in relation to the range of services to be provided at the National Children's Hospital at Tallaght in the context of the development of the national paediatric hospital and its associated urgent care centres.