Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021
393. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to move four maternity hospitals from their current locations to be co-located with an acute adult hospital: Holles Street, the Coombe, the Rotunda and Limerick Maternity Hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28666/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with best international practice, it is Government policy, as set out in the National Maternity Strategy, that standalone maternity hospitals will be co-located with acute adult hospitals. In the context of promoting women’s health, the Programme for Government commits to progress the planning, tender and design stages for the relocation of the Coombe Hospital to St James’s, the Rotunda Hospital to Connolly, and Limerick University Maternity Hospital to University Hospital Limerick. The Programme for Government also commits to conclude the governance arrangements and commence the building of the new maternity hospital at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.
The National Development Plan identifies the implementation of the National Maternity Strategy as a major investment programme for the sector to provide an appropriate environment within all our maternity hospitals/units to facilitate the delivery of a modern, safe, quality service where the woman’s need for privacy and dignity is respected. In this regard the four sites for proposed co-location, referenced above, are included in the National Development Plan. The new maternity hospital at the St Vincent’s University Hospital Campus is intended to be the first of these to be developed, and the relocation of the other maternity hospitals will follow in time.
In relation to the relocation of the NMH to the St Vincent’s University Hospital, significant progress has been made on the capital project, with planning permission for the hospital secured in 2017 and, in 2018, the awarding of contract for substantial enabling works. In parallel, work is ongoing in relation to the governance and ownership arrangements for the new hospital, to protect the State's significant investment and to provide assurance that all legally permissible services will be provided in the new hospital.
In addition, a business case for the NMH relocation project was submitted to the Department by the NMH Project Board in December 2020. This provided a comprehensive overview of the proposed project. However, as a project initiated prior to the updated Public Spending Code (PSC), the Project Board is undertaking additional work to ensure full compliance with the new PSC. It will be submitted to the Department, as Approving Authority, and to DPER for technical review in due course. Timelines for the new hospital are subject both to satisfactory finalisation of the legal arrangements, and approval of the business case.
The other relocation projects are at an early stage and all of these project proposals must progress through a number of approval stages, in line with the PSC, including detailed appraisal, planning, design and procurement before a firm timeline or funding requirement can be established. Approval must be received for each individual stage to ensure that the proposal delivers value for money and remains affordable, and that sufficient funding is available to fund the project to completion, including equipping and commissioning costs.
