Written answers

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Department of Health

National Children's Hospital Status

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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65. To ask the Minister for Health the progress being made on construction of the national children's hospital at the St. James's Hospital site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20951/16]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon 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 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, and I expect an enabling works contractor to be on site within weeks. Tenders have also been issued for main works and specialist contracts. 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.

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