Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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590. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an article (details supplied) regarding the access for ambulances to the children's hospital at St. James’s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37505/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The planning application submitted to An Bord Pleanála by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), the statutory body responsible for planning, designing, building and equipping the new children’s hospitals, to build the hospital on the St James’s campus included an Environmental Impact Statement detailed “traffic and parking” which included a traffic management and traffic mobility plan, endorsed by the National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council, for the construction and operational phases of the hospital. A ten-day oral hearing took place in December 2015 in which traffic evidence was presented in detail and allowed for cross-questioning by those who had concerns. An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission without change to the proposed traffic and mobility plan.

With regard to Ambulance Access, the St James’s Hospital Campus already serves as a major adult emergency department and caters for 24 hour ambulance access. The campus

is served directly by key primary roads including the M50. From discussions with the National Ambulance Service and as presented to An Bord Pleanála, the off peak journey times to and from the St James’s Hospital Campus and the M50 Motorway is approximately 10 to 12 minutes with a slight increase of 2 to 3 minutes in journey times, experienced during commuter traffic peak periods. Bus lanes leading to and near the campus are also available for use by emergency service vehicles, including ambulances

There will be 1000 parking spaces, of which 675 will be reserved for patients, and which can be pre-booked prior to arrival at the hospital. In addition, a condition of the planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanála is that a minimum of 20 spaces be marked and designated as 'parent and child' spaces and reserved for parents of children with specific needs (equipment etc.) and there will also be 27 specific car parking spaces provided for emergency drop-off parking.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.