Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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428. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of an article (details supplied) written by a doctor in St. James's Hospital in Dublin 8 outlining serious concerns over the proposed locating of the National Children's Hospital at the St. James's campus; and if he will address these concerns. [18318/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government decision to co-locate the new children's hospital with St James's was announced on 6 November 2012. Satellite centres of the hospital, providing urgent and outpatient care, are to be built on the campuses of Connolly and Tallaght Hospitals. The decision was clinically led, and was made in the best interests of children, with clinical considerations paramount in the decision. As announced in June 2015, the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital will relocate to the campus in time, achieving tri-location of adult, paediatric and maternity services. 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, which are readily accessible for paediatric and maternity patients on the shared campus. St James’s Hospital has the broadest range of national specialties of all acute hospitals, as well as strong and well established research and education infrastructure, making it the hospital that best meets the criteria to be the adult co-location partner.

The primary concerns about the location raised in the article referred to by the Deputy are access by car and by helicopter. I can reassure the Deputy that these issues have been carefully addressed in the design and plans for this hospital. The design has recognised the need of most parents to access the hospital by car and ample parking has been provided for families based on current and projected future demand, with three times the current available parking at the existing three children’s hospitals in Dublin. The elevated helipad proposed for the new children's hospital will have direct and rapid access to the Critical Care, Theatre and Emergency Departments within the hospital and has been designed in close consultation with the Air Corps and Department of Defence which provides the Emergency Aeromedical Service.

Over the three and a half years since the Government decided on the location for this hospital, extensive work has been completed including preparation of a design brief, procurement of a design team, design development including consultation with patients, families and staff and submission of a planning application. The decision of An Bord Pleanála on April 28 last to grant planning permission for the hospital, satellite centres and related buildings is a huge and very welcome milestone for the project. I am delighted that the first phase of construction can now commence.