Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37223/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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In late 2005 the HSE undertook a review of tertiary paediatric services.McKinsey and Company were engaged to advise on the future strategic organisation of tertiary paediatric services. The resulting report – "Children's Health First" – recommended that the new paediatric hospital should be located alongside a leading academic teaching hospital in Dublin in order to provide a more comprehensive healthcare service with improved clinical outcomes for all patients. The principle of location alongside a leading academic teaching hospital, in line with widespread international best practice, enjoyed widespread support.

McKinsey states that "the hospitals and experts cite many benefits from co-locations that support sub specialty critical mass". The McKinsey report refers to the Bristol Inquiry, in particular Recommendation 178, which states that "Children's acute hospital services should ideally be located in a children's hospital, which should be physically as close as possible to an acute general hospital". In addition McKinsey refers to the Scottish Review of Paediatric Services 2004, which specified that, "Children's specialist acute services should be co-located with adult, maternity and neonatal services". Of 17 hospitals examined by McKinsey, 15 were co-located with adult services, one was co-located with women's services only, and only one – Great Ormond Street was entirely standalone. A joint Task Group (representative of the Department of Health and Children, the Office of Public Works and the HSE) was established in February 2006. This Task Group carried out extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including the three existing paediatric hospitals, the three maternity hospitals and external experts.

The High Level Framework Brief for the new hospital, prepared by Rawlinson Kelly & Whittlestone Ltd (RKW) was completed in October 2008. The RKW Report was informed by clinical and architectural experts from major children's hospitals in Toronto, Philadelphia and Manchester. The Report includes a detailed assessment of capacity and concludes that the site adjoining the Mater Hospital can accommodate all the requirements of the new hospital and still allow expansion capacity beyond the year 2021. The Brief includes provision for all in-patients to be accommodated in single en-suite rooms and on-site accommodation for parents and families. The designs for the new children's hospital have demonstrated that the site at the Mater campus meets the requirements for children, young people and their families.

The new children's hospital will play a central role in an integrated network of paediatric services across Ireland. This development will fundamentally change and improve the provision of paediatric healthcare in Ireland because merging the three existing hospitals (at Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght) into a single hospital structure will ensure a critical mass of specialised skills to provide highly complex treatment and care to sick children. In addition an Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre will be established at Tallaght. The services to be provided will include urgent care consultations, outpatient appointments and day surgery.

On 12 October 2010, the Faculty of Paediatrics of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, which is the authorative professional body representing paediatricians in Ireland, publicly supported the new hospital and recommended that it should proceed as a matter of urgency.

Dr Ronnie Pollock of MPA Healthcare, London, was asked by the parent's group "the New Crumlin Hospital Group" whether the new hospital on the proposed site could provide the international standard of excellence in tertiary healthcare for children.Dr Pollack replied that "it most certainly can. The synergy created by assembling some of the best clinical and research skills in the country on a single site will create the environment for Ireland to progress further in international standing with measurable benefits for children and adults".

The Government is committed to proceeding with this important project at this location.