Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Health in view of the recent decision by An Bord Pleanála to reject the Mater Hospital, Dublin, as a suitable site for the National Children's Hospital, if he will confirm or outline his position that suitable sites with land available like those at Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, are now being considered as suitable alternatives in the new planning application. [15898/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I recently established an independent group to consider the implications of the decision of An Bord Pleanála received on 23 February 2012 to reject the planning application for the proposed construction of a national paediatric hospital on the site of the Mater Misericordiae Hospital. The independent group will, as part of their review, consider all issues relevant to the location of the new children's hospital and will inform me of their findings on conclusion.

The Government has agreed the terms of reference for the Review Group and I announced the composition of the group last week. There is a wealth of expertise on the group. The membership is composed of senior planners, an architect, the CEO of a major UK Paediatric hospital and senior clinicians in the field of paediatrics. The chairman, Dr Frank Dolphin is a former Chair of the HSE and founder of Rigney, Dolphin.

I will await the completion of the work of the Review Group and do not wish to make any further comment on the matter at this time. I wish to re-affirm my commitment to the construction of a national children's hospital as a Government priority.