Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1566.To ask the Minister for Health to clarify several matters with respect to the National Children’s Hospital (details supplied).[33784/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has statutory responsibility for planning, designing, building, and equipping the new children's hospital. I have therefore referred your question to the NPHDB for direct reply.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1567.To ask the Minister for Health for an update on plans to relocate the national genetics laboratory from Crumlin Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[33785/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government and I are fully committed to developing a robust patient and family centred genetics and genomics service in Ireland and increasing genomic laboratory capabilities for the betterment of patient diagnostics and care.

The National Genetic and Genomic Medicine Network Strategy Group provided a report to the HSE outlining the future of genetic and genomic services in Ireland. It recommended that a national approach to clinical and laboratory genetics and genomics should be developed. It also highlighted that the existing laboratory in CHI Crumlin was not designed to deliver a national function in this regard.

The National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine in Ireland was published in 2022 and the HSE’s National Genetics and Genomics Office (NGGO) was set up in 2023 to drive implementation of the strategy. The strategy outlines a way forward for genetics and genomics in Ireland including coordinating an approach to delivering a national service and strengthening infrastructure to drive advances in genetics and genomics.

The HSE’s NGGO is continuing to progress implementation of the strategy and is currently in the process of identifying a sustainable model for delivering genetic and genomic testing care in Ireland, which includes assessing the capacity needed, and demand for, a sustainable genomics laboratory service that meets patients’ needs.

In the meantime, CHI and other acute hospitals will continue to provide genetic testing services