Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if additional resources and support will be provided to Crumlin Children's Hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7540/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Executive continues to work with paediatric hospitals to support service delivery to our sick children. The HSE has established a paediatric hospital network across the three Dublin paediatric hospitals at Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght. This network is supported by the appointment of a Clinical Director working across the three hospitals and focuses on maximum co-operation between the three sites. A number of conjoint working groups have been established aimed at maximising service delivery across the three hospitals and ensuring the best and speediest possible care for patients. A single Department of Surgery is now in place which will facilitate single waiting lists into the future. Robust cross site structures are in place to ensure optimum service delivery from the most appropriate resource.

A number of additional resources have been put in place at Crumlin Hospital and a number of others are in the planning stage.

Key initiatives include:

Enhanced Cardiac Programme with an additional 5 days surgery in place per month, in place since early 2010.

Four additional Paediatric Intensive Care beds to be commissioned in the second half of the year. This has meant a specific investment of €2.35 million with an additional 18.5 staff.

Two Consultant Intensivist posts identified and currently in the process of recruitment.

Two Consultant Immunologist posts identified and currently in the process of recruitment.

One Consultant Neurophysiologist post identified and currently part of the Consultant Application Process.

One Consultant Dermatologist post identified and currently part of the Consultant Application process.

One Consultant Rheumatologist post identified and currently part of the Consultant Application process.

Two Medical Scientist posts identified and in place to support the New Born Screening Service.

The Health Service Executive continues to work with the paediatric hospitals to support the optimum appropriate service delivery across the three sites.