In May last year I announced that the National Maternity Hospital would be relocated to the campus of St Vincent's University Hospital. This is consistent with the recommendations of the 2008 KPMG Review of Maternity and Gynaecological Services in the Greater Dublin Area. An indicative sum of €150m has been approved in the HSE Capital Plan to enable this project to proceed. A Project Team has been established involving representation from the National Maternity Hospital, St Vincent’s University Hospital, HSE Estates, HSE Acute Hospitals Directorate, the National Clinical Programme in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and my Department, which has been meeting regularly since July 2013.
At this stage of the project, overall timelines are indicative only. Currently, the tender process for the procurement of the design team services for the project has been undertaken is underway and a design team is expected to be appointed in the near future. Once the design team has been appointed, design development will commence with the aim of submitting a planning application as early as possible in 2015. It is the intention of the Project Team to engage with all local stakeholders and interested parties in regard to the project as it progresses further.