Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 572: To ask the Minister for Health the level of consultation with actual parents or children on the design or, more important, the location of the proposed national children's hospital; and if he considered this consultation to be adequate. [34139/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Hospital Project Team are committed to ensuring that the views of children, their families and carers are incorporated into the process of designing the new children's hospital. A Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) was established to obtain the views of children and young people and a Family Forum was developed to represent the views of parents, families and carers. Workshops with the project architects have been held with the YAP and the Family Forum on an on-going basis throughout the design development.

The objective of these workshops has been to identify their needs, gather their ideas and recommendations to inform the design of the hospital. Most notably their views have informed the layout of the inpatient bedroom, the music, play and recreational areas, the family accommodation, the family support areas and the external landscape areas. It is envisaged that these groups will continue to contribute to the design to ensure that this is a child friendly and family focused hospital.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 573: To ask the Minister for Health the way he can ignore the weight of public opinion here that does not consider the Mater Hospital site, Dublin, to be suitable as the location for the national children's hospital as evidenced by the overwhelming opposition in two polls (details supplied) on the subject. [34140/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware I commissioned an independent Review regarding the location of the new children's hospital on the Mater Campus.

I announced the outcome of the Review on the 6th of July 2011. The independent experts who formed the Review Team, having examined all the issues in accordance with the Terms of Reference, came to the unanimous and unequivocal recommendation that the development of the new hospital should proceed on the Mater Campus.

I confirmed the Government's acceptance of the recommendation of the Review Team and requested the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) to proceed with a planning application to an Bord Pleanála. Planning permission has just completed the oral hearing stage, and a decision is expected early next year.

I am delighted to confirm the Government's decision to proceed with the delivery of the National Children's Hospital, and the associated ambulatory and urgent care centre in Tallaght. This decision was announced on 10th November following an extensive review of overall capital spending.

The two opinion polls cited by the Deputy do not meet the requirements of a random (i.e. not self-selected) sample. As such they cannot be relied upon as an accurate or representative indication of public opinion, and no clear conclusions can be drawn from them.

The decision to locate the National Children's Hospital on the site of the Mater Hospital follows detailed analysis, which has been objectively tested and validated by an independent expert group. I believe that this analysis is the most appropriate means of making key decisions of this kind.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 574: To ask the Minister for Health the way he can defend the fact that the independent review of the national children's hospital project carried out earlier this year did not include a full review of the decision to locate the hospital at the Mater Hospital site, Dublin. [34141/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The 2006 McKinsey Report to the HSE, Children's Health First,recommended that:-

the population and projected demands in Ireland can support only one world class tertiary paediatric hospital;

it should ideally be located alongside a leading adult academic hospital;

it should accommodate the secondary care needs of children in the greater Dublin area.

Following the McKinsey report, a Joint HSE/DoHC/OPW Task Group was established in 2006 to advise on the optimum location of the proposed new hospital in line with the McKinsey recommendations. Each of the six major adult academic hospitals in Dublin made a detailed submission to the Task Group. The Group considered the Mater to be in the best geographical position to facilitate a clinical network of critical adult and paediatric specialties.

When I came into office I commissioned an independent Review around key issues relating to the location of the new hospital on the Mater Campus. I announced the outcome of the Review on the 6th of July 2011. The independent experts who formed the Review Team, having examined all the issues in accordance with the Terms of Reference, came to the unanimous and unequivocal recommendation that the development of the new hospital should proceed on the Mater Campus.

It is important to remember that this Review was not a site selection process. The Review dealt with the issues that had arisen regarding the possibilities of locating the hospital on another site around Dublin closer to the M50 motorway. The Review focussed on the cost differentials and clinical issues with regard to the Mater and notional sites around Dublin.

I confirmed the Government's acceptance of the recommendation of the Review Team and requested the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) to proceed with a planning application to an Bord Pleanála. Planning permission has just completed the oral hearing stage.

I am delighted to welcome the Government's decision to maintain the existing levels of health capital investment. This confirms the Government's commitment to delivering quality services in modern facilities for the children of Ireland through the provision of the necessary funding for the delivery of the National Children's Hospital, and the associated ambulatory and urgent care centre in Tallaght.