Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health if a date has been set for the movement of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, to the Elm Park development near St. Vincent's Hospital; if any budget has been provided for such a move within his Department; if he will provide an update on the general plans in place for the future of maternity hospitals on the south of Dublin city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44166/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health if approval has been sought or granted yet for the movement of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin 2, to the Elm Park development near St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin 4; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44168/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health if negotiations between him and his Department officials with the National Assets Management Agency regarding the movement of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin 2, to the Elm Park development near St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin 4, concluded or if they are still ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44173/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health the negotiations or discussions that have taken place with the National Assets Management Agency regarding the movement of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin 2, to the Elm Park development near St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin 4; the number of times he or his Department officials have met with NAMA about this move; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44174/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 602, 604, 606 and 607 together.

The 2008 KPMG Independent Review of Maternity and Gynaecology Services in the Greater Dublin Area Report recommended that the Dublin maternity hospitals should be located alongside adult acute services. Co-location of maternity hospitals with adult acute services is the optimal solution for the provision of hospital-based maternity services, as it can provide access to the full range of medical and surgical specialties and clinical support services in sufficient volume and complexity to provide added value. This is particularly important for high-risk mothers and babies. Therefore it is proposed that the maternity hospitals should be relocated alongside adult acute services. In this context the National Maternity Hospital is to be relocated to St Vincent's. The Dublin maternity hospitals have been working with the HSE in relation to the development of their business cases for relocation.

Within the context of its commercial remit, NAMA advises that it is at all times open to proposals which can contribute to the achievement of broader social and economic objectives. My officials and I met with NAMA once this year and the Secretary General of the Department also met with NAMA in June 2011. While a variety of topics and areas of interest were discussed at these meetings, you will understand that I cannot provide detail on the negotiations and discussions for reasons of commercial sensitivity.

The relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to the Elm Park development adjacent to St Vincent's University Hospital was explored and considered earlier this year. Discussions took place with NAMA in relation to the Elm Park development and these negotiations have now concluded. While there were some discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the proposal, formal sanction was not sought for the relocation of the NMH to the Elm Park development. No budget has been been provided within my Department for this project as management and delivery of the health infrastructure programme is the responsibility of the HSE. This project cannot be dealt with in isolation and must be considered in the context of the HSE multi-annual capital programme. The HSE is required to prioritise capital infrastructure projects within its overall capital funding allocation taking into account the existing capital commitments and costs to completion over the period. Work on the draft Capital Plan for the next multi-annual period 2013-2017 will begin shortly and will be submitted to my Department in due course. My Department will then review the proposals and follow up with the HSE where further details may be required. The draft Capital Plan 2013-2017 will require my approval with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.