26 Oct 2016, 12:49
26 October 2016
The Joint Committee on Health will tomorrow meet with representatives of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) and the campaign group, Connolly for Kids. The NPHDB are the body responsible for the design, building, planning and equipping of the new Children’s hospital building. Connolly for Kids are the representative group that campaigned for the National Children’s Hospital to be located beside the James Connolly Memorial Adult Hospital.
The meeting will commence at 9.00am in Committee Room 4 tomorrow, Thursday, 27 October 2016.
Committee Chairman, Dr. Michael Harty TD, said “The Committee has no function in relation to site location, which has already been decided, but we welcome the opportunity to engage with Connolly for Kids and the NPHDB, to hear their views on the cabinet decision to locate the hospital on the site of St. James’ hospital. The Cabinet of the day agreed to build the hospital at St. James’ in 2012 and planning permission was obtained in May 2016. Site clearance has commenced and final construction contracts will be signed in the near future.”
“There has always been agreement that a purpose built and dedicated hospital for children is a necessary component of a fully functioning health service. The debate, however, centred on the location. The National Paediatric Hospital will be the largest infrastructural development in the Irish health service. It will provide for essential specialist services for all children of Ireland at a single location, co-located with an adult teaching hospital and future maternity hospital, when the Coombe is relocated to the site.”
“This meeting will provide a forum to discuss the merits, or otherwise, of choosing St. James’ Hospital as the successful location.”
The Committee will also engage in Scrutiny of EU legislative proposals: Schedule B COM(2016)674
Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Ends