I propose to take Questions Nos. 413 and 414 together.
I am committed to the provision of a world class tertiary hospital for the children of Ireland delivering the highest possible quality of care with the best possible standards of accommodation. The in-patient accommodation proposed for sick children of the New Children's Hospital will meet all current standards. Each child will have a single en-suite bedroom, with space in the room for a parent to stay overnight with their child. This arrangement will support efficient bed management, as well as facilitating families from around the country as they care for their children, while ensuring appropriate standards of privacy and dignity. Parents will not be charged for staying with their child in this way.
In addition, separate accommodation is to be provided for parents of children who are being treated in the intensive care or high dependency units, where, for clinical, infection control and space reasons it would not be appropriate to provide beds for a parent to sleep in overnight. Such spaces will be furnished with "recliners" so that parents can stay close to their child during this intensive phase of treatment. In addition, a separate suite of rooms is to be provided close to the intensive care unit to support these parents.
Discussions are ongoing between the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and the Ronald McDonald charity with a view to providing hostel accommodation adjacent to the hospital for parents and families of sick children, particularly those who are far from home or who have to spend long periods in hospital.