Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans for the existing Crumlin Children's Hospital after 2016, when the new paediatric hospital is completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37556/10]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the plans that are in place for the existing children's hospitals in the Dublin area following the provision of the new tertiary children's hospital; if services will continue to be provided at the existing hospitals; if so, the nature of these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37635/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 291 together.

It is widely accepted that the way to provide the best possible paediatric tertiary care most effectively is to provide a single national paediatric hospital alongside a major teaching hospital, bringing together all the medical and nursing expertise for complex conditions.

Services at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, National Children's Hospital Tallaght and the Children's University Hospital Temple Street will transfer to the new National Paediatric Hospital. Pending completion of the project, and to ensure the best possible services for children, the HSE will continue to finance the provision and development of services at each of the transferring hospitals. A Paediatric Hospitals Operations Group has been established for ongoing network management and enhanced integration of the three paediatric hospitals in advance of the transfer to the new paediatric hospital.

An Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre will be provided at Tallaght Hospital as part of the National Paediatric Hospital development.

Neither the Crumlin nor Temple Street sites is owned by the State. The long term future of these facilities will be a matter for discussion between the two hospitals, the HSE and my Department.