Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to upgrade or increase the capacity of the children's hospital at Tallaght; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13621/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular issue raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

I am aware of the concerns previously raised regarding the level of service to be provided at Tallaght in the context of the development of the National Paediatric Hospital. It should be noted that currently the vast majority of children attending the National Children's Hospital Emergency Department do not require admission, and will continue to access their care at the new Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre which is to be developed at Tallaght. It has been estimated that when the first Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre is developed at Tallaght it will cater for approximately 48,000 emergency attendances, 9,000 day cases and 58,000 out-patient attendances. Clearly the projected level of activity would change depending on the number of such centres to be developed.