Vol. 505 No. 6
147 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the present proposals for the move of the Children's Hospital in Temple Street to a new site; the time within which this will be carried out; and the reason for the delays in this project. [14231/99]
The Deputy will be aware that the relocation of the Children's Hospital, Temple Street, to the Mater Hospital campus has been under consideration for some time by the religious orders who own the two hospitals concerned. My Department supports the transfer of Temple Street Hospital to the Mater campus because of the need to improve the quality of paediatric hospital accommodation and the potential benefits to both hospitals of shared infrastructural support and complementary clinical services.
In 1998, I approved the appointment of the design team for the Mater Hospital development. Its initial task will be the preparation of a development control plan – DCP – for the entire Mater site, including the relocation of the Children's Hospital, Temple Street and the development of phase I of the Mater project. Work is well advanced on the preparation of the DCP. Decisions on the timing of phase II, which will include the relocation of the Children's Hospital, Temple Street, are dependent upon a range of complex planning and technical considerations and in particular on the availability of the necessary capital resources for the planning and construction of the project, having regard to the many competing demands on my Department.
In the interim, it is vital that existing services for children on the north side of the city are maintained to a high standard and I have approved funding in the region of £1.6 million for the refurbishment of the accident and emergency department and the new day ward at the Children's Hospital, Temple Street. My Department has recently conveyed approval to the hospital to proceed with the tendering process. The estimated timeframe for the construction of this development is between nine and 12 months. I am confident that this accident and emergency development will bring a much needed improvement to this critical service for children in the north side of Dublin.
