Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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898. To ask the Minister for Health his views regarding the logic to developing the new children's hospital, without ensuring the co-location of the new maternity hospital, in view of the scientific evidence which exists of the need to co-locate and the particular unsuitability of the St James's site for those purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13515/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As announced in June 2015, the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital will relocate in time to the St James's campus, achieving tri-location of adult, paediatric and maternity services. The National Maternity Strategy, published in January 2016, reaffirms the delivery of tri-located maternity services on the campus with the new children's hospital and St James's Hospital.

A site for the proposed maternity hospital is identified in the Site Master Plan for the St James's campus, and the new children's hospital design has incorporated the required operational links with both maternity and adult hospitals.

A planning application has not yet been submitted in relation to the relocation of the Coombe Maternity Hospital to the St James's Hospital Campus. While the construction of the new maternity hospital on the campus will not commence until the new children’s hospital is completed, consideration will be given to the work required to advance the new maternity hospital design, which must be done before a planning application is prepared.