Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Health

National Children's Hospital Status

Photo of Billy TimminsBilly Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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387. To ask the Minister for Health when the planning application for the children's hospital will be lodged; the estimated completion date; the estimated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35780/14]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is the body responsible for building the new children’s hospital. Following a rigorous procurement process, the Board has now appointed the design team for the project and design development has begun. As part of its brief, the design team has reviewed and validated the programme. The validated programme sets a target for completion of design development in June of next year, at which time a planning application will be submitted. This will include both the main hospital at the St James's campus and the satellite centres, which are considered to be an integral part of the overall project.

Allowing an appropriate period of time for a planning decision to be made, it is expected that subject to permission being granted, the project will be on site at all three locations – the main hospital on the St James’s campus and the satellite centres at Tallaght and Connolly Hospitals - in January 2016. Commissioning for the main hospital is targeted to begin at the end of 2018 and transition of services in Spring 2019, with construction to be fully complete at the end of that year. It is estimated that the satellite centres on the campuses of Tallaght and Connolly Hospital will be complete and in service in mid-2017, well in advance of the main hospital.

Minister Howlin has already committed to making €200m available from the sale of the National Lottery for the new children's hospital, adding to the existing €450m Exchequer funding and underlining the Government's commitment to the project. Current estimates are that the core hospital, including both satellite centres, will be delivered within this envelope. This includes provision for inflation, VAT and contingencies, it does not include equipment or ICT which can be purchased, licensed or leased separately. Philanthropic and commercial funding streams will be targeted as appropriate for supporting elements of the project to include car parking, academic and research facilities, and estimates will be reviewed and refined at each stage of the project.

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