Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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167. To ask the Minister for Health if public transport serving the St. James’s Hospital site will be increased to cater for the increased number of persons using the hospital following the construction of the new National Children’s Hospital and relocation of the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3674/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The campus at St. James’s hospital benefits from a full suite of transport options including private car, national rail, LUAS, bus, bicycle, pedestrian and taxi. Notwithstanding the public transport accessibility of the site, the need of most parents to access the hospital by car is recognised, and ample parking has been provided for families based on current and projected future demand.

The planning application to build the new children’s hospital on the St. James’s Campus included a traffic management and traffic mobility plan for the construction and operational phase which was endorsed by the National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council. A 10-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. On 28 April 2016, An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the new children’s hospital on the campus shared with St. James’s Hospital and for satellite urgent care centres on the campuses of Tallaght and Connolly Hospital without change to the proposed traffic and mobility plan.

An Bord Pleanála was satisfied with the measures proposed to mitigate traffic issues around the campus, and provide for parking (675 for families, 325 for staff), while also noting that no other site enjoys such connectivity with public transport.