Businesses lobbied for hospital support

MAJOR BUSINESSES worldwide which have an association with Ireland are being asked by the entrepreneur Harry Crosbie to support the new national children’s hospital.

In advance of a decision on planning permission which is expected at the end of this month, Mr Crosbie is asking major Irish and international firms to commit some of their 2012 budgets to support for the hospital fit-out.

As chairman of the hospital’s fundraising committee the entrepreneur has already secured support from the chairwoman of the American Ireland Fund, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, for a fundraising “roadshow” in the US.

Some €450 million has been committed by the Government for the hospital, with Mr Crosbie and his committee tasked with coming up with another €75 million for fit-out costs.

The businessman told The Irish Times the fundraising campaign will be officially launched with a major concert event modelled on that staged for Queen Elizabeth, later this year. The concert which will showcase Irish and international talent is to be held in the O2 or the Grand Canal Theatre “or possibly both” in the first half of this year, he said.

But he said it was crucial the appeal to businesses goes out this week, as most large and international companies would be making their 2012 budget allocations before the end of January. “We can’t wait until we get the planning permission to start this because these companies make their budgets in January,” he said.

Among the initiatives being considered is a campaign to sell naming rights so hospital wards may be named after individuals’ loved ones.

Commenting on the plans Mr Crosbie said the concert would be “similar to that which we put on for the Queen, only bigger”. He has already been promoting the concert among singers and performers and asked that anyone interested in taking part should contact him. “We want to get to them – business and performers – and say ‘remember the national children’s hospital’. We will be coming knocking at some time in the new year.”