Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 December 2013
594. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health If he will issue a progress report on the new national children's hospital; the facilities that will be provided; when is it envisaged works will commence; the timeframe for completion; the amount of funding spent to date on the project; the total estimated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54079/13]
View answerThe new children's hospital project is a priority for this Government. The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) is the body responsible for the capital project. Last August, I announced appointments to this Board to replace the transitional Board which had been in place since January this year. These appointments bring architectural, planning, procurement, engineering and construction expertise to the project. In November, Mr. John Pollock was selected as Programme Director of the NPHDB. Also in August, I announced appointments to the Children's Hospital Group Board which, as client for the project, will play a key role in ensuring the new hospital is optimally designed and completed as swiftly as possible. In November, Ms Eilísh Hardiman took up post as CEO of the Children's Hospital Group, and will play a central role in driving forward the integration of the three hospitals, and the project as a whole.
Prior to the commencement of construction, key elements of the project include design development, decant works for the site and planning permission. The new NPHDB has reviewed the design team procurement process, which had been initiated in July, and decided on a change of approach based on its collective expertise and taking into account changing market conditions. While this means that the design team will be selected in Spring 2014, rather than by the end of this year as originally planned, the Board is confident there will be no delay to the project overall. Pre-application planning discussions have commenced, a master plan for the St. James's Hospital campus is being prepared and St. James's Hospital is working closely with the Development Board and the HSE in relation to the decant phase of the project. Work on the review of urgent care centre configuration is at an advanced stage and I intend to bring proposals in this regard to Government shortly.
The new children's hospital will provide in-patients with their own single room and en-suite bathroom, with overnight in-room accommodation for parents. The new theatres and procedure rooms will have advanced medical technology for patient diagnosis (e.g. x-ray machines) and complex surgeries, which will inevitably improve clinical outcomes for patients. The hospital will have a child-centred design with colourful play areas and external gardens for children (and for their families). Different play areas and recreational facilities will be provided that are appropriate for different age groups. Work on developing a detailed timeline is continuing, which will reflect the urgency and priority of the project and also its scale and complexity. However, at this stage, the Board is confident that construction can begin in Spring 2015 with the transition of services to the new hospital to commence at the end of 2018.
In October, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced that up to €200m would be made available for the new children’s hospital from the sale of the National Lottery, adding to the existing €450 million Exchequer funding. The level of funding now in place underlines the Government’s commitment to this priority project. Also, philanthropic / non-Exchequer funding will be sought to the maximum and most appropriate degree. Estimated costs will be reviewed and refined at each stage as the project progresses. The total spent on the new children’s hospital to date is €41 million. Of the total spent on the project in its previous location, much of the work that was done for the project on its previous site can be transferred to the new site. However, a proportion of the costs incurred require to be written off. This cannot be avoided, having regard to the fact that the continuing serious planning concerns identified meant that the project could not continue on the original site.
