Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 November 2012
50. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Health if he will be seeking sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to the Elm Park development to enable co-location with St. Vincent's University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48740/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2008 KPMG Independent Review of Maternity and Gynaecology Services in the Greater Dublin Area Report recommended that the Dublin maternity hospitals should be located alongside adult acute services. Co-location of maternity hospitals with adult acute services is the optimal solution for the provision of hospital-based maternity services, as it can provide access to the full range of medical and surgical specialties and clinical support services in sufficient volume and complexity to provide added value. This is particularly important for high-risk mothers and babies. Therefore it is proposed that the maternity hospitals should be relocated alongside adult acute services. In this context the National Maternity Hospital is to be relocated to St Vincent's.
This project cannot be dealt with in isolation and must be considered in the context of the HSE multi-annual capital programme. The HSE is required to prioritise capital infrastructure projects within its overall capital funding allocation taking into account the existing capital commitments and costs to completion over the period. Work on the draft Capital Plan for the next multi-annual period 2013-2017 will begin shortly and will be submitted to my Department in due course. My Department will then review the proposals and follow up where further details may be required. The draft Capital Plan 2013-2017 will require my approval with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
