Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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442. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the location of the National Children's Hospital at the St. James's Hospital site; if he will review the decision and the decision-making process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11382/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The previous Government's decision to locate the new children's hospital at the St James's campus was based on the over-riding priority of best clinical outcomes for our children and, in particular, the sickest of these. That decision is unequivocally supported by this Government and by me as Minister. As announced in June 2016, it is intended that the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital will relocate to the campus in time, achieving tri-location of paediatric, maternity and adult services on one campus. Tri-location has benefits for children, adolescents, newborns and mothers. In all cases, the benefits of tri-location are maximised where the adult hospital provides the broadest possible range of clinical sub-specialties and expertise, and delivers significant breadth and depth of clinical and academic research on site. St James's Hospital has the widest range of sub-specialties and highest level of clinical complexity of all hospitals in the country, as well as a strong and well-developed research infrastructure, making it the hospital that best meets the criteria to be the adult co-location partner.

I am delighted at the decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for these vital new facilities. The decision means that enabling works can begin this summer. It is expected that the satellite centres can open in 2018, significantly enhancing access to urgent care and outpatient services for children from the Greater Dublin Area. Building work on the main site will be completed in 2020, providing 380 inpatient rooms, all of which will be single en-suite rooms with in-room parent accommodation, 93 daycare beds and 20 operating theatres. The hospital will also include play areas, external gardens and courtyards. During the design process, there has been extensive engagement and consultation with families, young people and children who are former or current users of the service, with staff from the existing three children’s hospitals and with local residents. This has led to the development of a world-class building which has been designed to enable staff to deliver the best possible clinical care for children and young people.