Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 November 2010
77 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Health and Children her plans to move the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, to the site of St. Vincent’s Hospital; the amount of moneys spent on plans for the move; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41905/10]
View answerThe KPMG report on maternity services in the Greater Dublin Area recommended that maternity and related services should transfer from the three existing maternity hospitals in Dublin to locations on adult acute hospital sites. It recommended that services at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at Holles Street should move to the St. Vincent's University Hospital campus at Elm Park. It also recommended that the Coombe should transfer to Tallaght Hospital and that the Rotunda services should be established on the Mater Hospital site. This report has been adopted by the HSE, and steps are being taken towards implementation of the recommendations made.
The NMH and St. Vincent's have commenced work to develop the proposal further. An initial business case has been prepared, and consideration has been given to options for the location of a new maternity hospital facility on the St. Vincent's campus. Further work is now in progress, including the preparation of a full business case and the identification of potential sources of capital funding. The Government is in favour of transferring the Dublin maternity hospitals to adult hospital sites as recommended by KPMG. The means by which this could be achieved is being pursued by the HSE.
