Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 267: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the new Children's Hospital will be built on a site at the Mater Hospital; if paediatric services will continue in Crumlin, Tallaght and James St. hospitals after the construction of the new Children's Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40300/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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A review of tertiary paediatric services carried out by McKinsey & Co on behalf of the Health Service Executive recommended the establishment of a single tertiary paediatric hospital in Dublin, co-located with a leading adult academic hospital. Subsequently, a joint HSE/Department of Health and Children Task Group was established to advise on the optimum location of the proposed new hospital.

The Task Group's report was submitted to the Board of the HSE on 1st June last, and its recommendation that the new paediatric hospital be developed as an independent hospital on a site to be made available by the Mater Hospital was endorsed by the Board. At its meeting on 8th June, the Government also strongly endorsed the recommendation.

A joint HSE/Department of Health and Children Transition Group has been established to advance the development of the new hospital on the Mater site. Among the key items being addressed are the definition of a high level framework brief for the new hospital and the determination of the scope and location of the urgent care centres required to support the new hospital. The Transition Group will have consultations with relevant stakeholders. The Joint Transition Group is in the process of contracting external assistance in relation to the development of a high level framework brief for the new hospital, including operational policies for the proposed urgent care centres.

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 the associated urgent care centres. Services at Our Lady's Children's Hospital are to transfer to the new hospital. St James's Hospital is an adult teaching hospital which currently treats a small number of children on an exceptional basis. The framework brief will help to inform decisions in relation to the full range of services to be provided at the new hospital.