David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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208. To ask the Minister for Health the planned relocations and co-locations of hospitals; the timelines and prioritisation for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62270/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In line with best international practice, it is Government policy, as re-iterated in the National Maternity Strategy, that standalone maternity hospitals will be co-located with acute adult hospitals. In the context of promoting women’s health, the Programme for Government commits to progress the planning, tender and design stages for the relocation of the Coombe Hospital to St James’s, the Rotunda Hospital to Connolly, and Limerick University Maternity Hospital to University Hospital Limerick. The Programme for Government also commits to conclude the governance arrangements and commence the building of the new maternity hospital at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.  

The policy commitment regarding co-location of the standalone maternity hospitals is also re-stated in the National Development Plan 2021-2030. This document indicates that the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at the St Vincent’s University Hospital campus is intended to be the first of the re-located hospitals to be developed with the relocation of the other standalone maternity hospitals to follow in time.  

With regard to the relocation of the NMH, as the Deputy will be aware, work is ongoing to finalise the legal arrangements for the new hospital. In that regard, I have been clear that I will not bring any proposal to Government unless it affirms that the State’s investment in the new hospital is safeguarded, as well as providing assurances around all legally permissible services being provided in the new NMH. However, as I have stated previously, I will not be making any further comment in relation to this matter until the process has concluded.

In relation to the relocation of the three other standalone maternity hospitals, the HSE Capital Plan 2021 indicates that the relocation projects for the Coombe, the Rotunda and University Maternity Hospital Limerick are at an early stage. It should be noted that all of these project proposals must progress through a number of approval stages, in line with the Public Spending Code, including detailed appraisal, planning, design and procurement, before a firm timeline or funding requirement can be established.